The Dragon Tamer
by Crystal Mizuka
Summary: Original Characters and Anime Characters collide. There's always time for a party or two, with a little chaos on the side. Mostly Ranma 1/2 & Tenchi Muyo.
1. Taking Role Playing Too Far

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Character Note: I am Rachel, the misplaced author of this fanfiction series. I am sixteen years old, am 165cm tall (5'6"), have semi-long shoulder length dirty blond hair and blue/green eyes.  
  
Character Note2: Crystal is an original character that is based on myself, generally used in fanfiction and in online RPGS. She looks almost exactly like me, except for the scar she bares on her right arm. Don't try to piss her off unless you don't mind dealing with a killer dragon.  
  
Author's Note: While the main world is a crossover of the Ranma 1/2 universe and the Tenchi Muyo universe, some of the stories will take place in other worlds and will involve other characters. The main world is also slightly alternate-universe, so some of the characters might act a little differently than people are used to.  
  
------Key------  
  
"......"-speaking ~......~-thinking *......*-exagerated noises [......]-author's notes  
  
------Introduction------  
  
My name is Rachel, although sometimes I choose to use the name of my character and alternate personallity, Crystal. This is my story, the story of a girl that ended up in their ideal world of anime. Being an anime fanatic from the start and an active role playing nut probably had something to do with what happened. For a long time now I have also had this character that has always really been a part of me, but sometimes I took a little too seriously. When I ended up in the world of anime that exists normally in my imagination, I thought I had really gone crazy, but sometimes the dream world really does become a person's reality...  
  
My mind has always been known to wander. Even at school I would take on the personallity of my character and even feel as if I was in her world. I was acutely aware of the fact that I would suddenly be watching everything that my body was doing from another perspective and that I was acting a lot like my character. I would maintain control of my actions and my thoughts, but it was like some stronger force was at work. I decided not to pay much attention to it, and it passed. I returned to normal every time, but failed to realize that the other personality was really just an extention of myself. It was who I believed I wanted to be when I was being a character in a story rather than real life. I was going to learn the lesson of a lifetime and no one else would ever believe me...  
  
------Taking Role Playing Too Far------  
  
When summer came around I really got into my role playing mode. I would respond to my alias more and more frequently rather than my real name. At times I even wished I could be my character so I could really meet the people that she met and spoke to within my role playing journeys and fanfiction storylines. Well you know that old quote "Be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it", in a sense I got what I wanted.  
  
I got off of the computer to get a drink of water, seeing as it is hot at my place during the summer and I didn't feel like getting dehydrated. When I steped out of my room the world around me started spinning rapidly. I couldn't figure out what was going on, but before I could think about it any further I was unconscious.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
When I regained consciousness, I was laying on the floor in a hallway that was certainly not the hallway of my house. In fact it looked strangely like the hallway of the apartment I had always visualized Crystal living in when going through my role playing insanity and fanfiction writing. I tried to get my senses strait, but the fact of the matter was it was the hallway of that apartment. I was sure of it.  
  
The other thing that struck me as odd was the fact that the world suddenly seemed animated. I got up off of the floor and walked down the hallway. I knew my way around the apartment, after all I had designed it with my mind ages ago. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and saw my face, but I looked stronger and for some reason I had a strange scar on my right arm. I stared at the mirror for several minutes trying to get everything to register.  
  
"How did this--is this--I'm Crystal?" I asked myself this series of questions while still staring at myself in the mirror.  
  
A voice in my head thought at me ~Well this is what you wanted, isn't it?~  
  
"Of coarse I wanted this!" I stated aloud.  
  
~Well you got it~ thought that voice at me again ~now enjoy your new life.~  
  
"My new life...?" I said, still in shock and total confusion.  
  
There was no response that time and I realized that I was on my own. I was Crystal and as such I lived in an apartment by myself somewhere in Nerima, Japan. I also noted that in the mirror the outfit I was wearing as Crystal looked awesome.  
  
"Enough with a mirror," I stated as I wandered out of the bathroom to take a look at the apartment that I had designed in my mind so many months earlier. It took a while for me to register the fact that I was in fact my favorite original character in what appeared to be the world I always portrayed when writing my fanfictions.  
  
"Time to experiment," I said with a smirk on my face. I held up my right hand an concentrated on one of my favorite little abilities that I had given to Crystal as a character. On cue a small fireball materialized above my hand. I snapped my fingers and the fireball was gone.  
  
"This is too cool," I said to myself. I walked into the living room and took a look at the calander to figure out what time of year it was in this world.  
  
"Ack...Crystal...I've got to go to school!" I shouted. I looked at the clock and decided there was no time like the present, I didn't want to be late.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I somehow got out of my apartment and made my way to Furinkan High School and to my surprise seemed to know my way. Well of coarse Crystal always managed to get to school on time, but the problem was...  
  
"Crystal is never able to find the apartment after school!" I shouted out loud again.  
  
I clamped my hand over my mouth. I really needed to just chill out and relax, and most importantly stop speaking in the third person. I was Crystal, end of story and I needed to start refering to myself as such or risk looking like an idiot in this world. I went over the character profile I had designed for Crystal and sighed. Well Crystal would be acting a little differently than usual, but in Nerima that wouldn't be a bad thing.  
  
I continued on my way to school and my first encounter with real live anime characters.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I took a seat in the back corner of the classroom praying that no one would pay attention to me, noting that it was actually Crystal's seat anyway. Then it registered that as Crystal I had no friends and that I was perfectly safe for the moment. I had also realized that I could understand and speak to everyone with ease and it all came naturally. I had been a little worried about that, but my mind obviously took everything into account when creating my ideal world subconsciously.  
  
I let out a sigh and thought ~I really DO have an over active imagination...this shouldn't even be possible according to the standards of normal people, and yet here I am. Maybe I really did lose my mind this time.~ For me it was like a paradise, or so I thought at the time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
During class things seemed mostly normal, well about as normal as things can be when you happen to be involved with characters from Ranma 1/2 in a place called Nerima. By lunchtime I was thoroughly confused by what was going on and getting a little homesick. It was simple enough for someone like me to find some quiet little area to eat lunch, even if that somewhere was conveniently located in a tree.  
  
"I really should have made this character more cheerful," I said aloud. I seemed to be doing even more talking to myself than I usually did at home.  
  
Then I started hearing voices bellow me. One voice, that I couldn't place, said, "That guy Crystal has been acting kind of strange today."  
  
I sweatdropped, as was standard in an anime based universe. I recognized the basis of this storyline imediately, because I had role played it before. This was the beginning of a storyline in which everyone who didn't actually know Crystal personally [everyone], thought that she was a boy. ~Well if this is how things are going to be, I'll just have to play along~ I thought to myself.  
  
A second voice asked, "And what isn't weird about that guy. He's always by himself being all mysterious and he always disappears before anyone can talk to him."  
  
~And with good reason~ I added mentally.  
  
"I just mean that the guy has been acting weirder than usual," said the first voice. In a matter of minutes the people whose voices I had heard were on their way. It became quiet again.  
  
I finished off my lunch and decided the smart thing to do would be to remain in the tree. Curiousity got the better of me and I climbed down to take a look around at my surroundings. If I was going to be in this world for a while it would be wise for me to do some exploring so I could easily find my way around. Strange how that was exactly how the role playing game had started...  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"How on earth did I end up in here?" I asked myself out loud. This was getting silly and I knew it, but I still felt like going along with the storyline that I knew was happening.  
  
On cue, Ranma entered chasing after a certain little black piglet who goes by the name P-chan or in the case of what Ranma was shouting, "Ryoga get back here!"  
  
I had wandered into the boys locker room, go figure and that was exactly what was supposed to have happened. Now the storyline was taking full flight and there was nothing I could do, but do my best to go with the program. Of coarse I was in no way as serious as Crystal in real life, but I certainly had put some of myself into the character. This wouldn't be too hard.  
  
There were several indignant squeels from the direction Ryoga/P-chan had headed, into the showers and then a muffled, "Curse you Ranma Saotome!"  
  
"Serves you right P-chan," said Ranma. "Now why don't you give up on this game of yours and just tell Akane the truth before I decide to?"  
  
Ryoga growled, "You wouldn't dare."  
  
"I might just do that," said Ranma.  
  
This was when I was noticed on the scene, mostly because I just had to ask, "What's going on here?"  
  
Even though both boys thought were unaware of the fact that I was actually a girl, they became embarassed when they saw another person in the locker room [I still couldn't exactly understand how I had gotten in there myself].  
  
"This is just great Ranma! Now he knows my secret!" shouted Ryoga.  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Well that would be your own doing because I didn't say anything about it. You did."  
  
"Eh..." was all I managed to get out.  
  
"Hey that guy is in my class," said Ranma.  
  
It was best to lead them on and let them think I was a guy, after all I was still in that locker room. I merely nodded and then said, "And Ryoga, I already knew about the P-chan thing."  
  
Ryoga couldn't decide whether he should be furious or totally shocked. One thing was certain, he had lost the potential ability to talk.  
  
"How long have you known?" asked Ranma.  
  
I shrugged, "Well if the bandana isn't a dead give-away, I don't know what is. And then there is the matter that anyone who acts that jumpy around cold water is usually cursed."  
  
Ryoga seemed like he had just been caught in jail break. He had however, found his voice, "And you haven't told anyone?"  
  
"Who would believe me," I asked seriously, "the mystery boy in the back of the classroom who almost never speaks in public?" I took that time to snap my fingers, as was a normal thing for me to do in this type of world and materialized Ryoga's clothes out of thin air. "You might want to put these on before you get out of here."  
  
Ryoga took the clothes and nodded, having lost his voice again, mostly in the confusion of my latest trick. I was becoming more and more accustomed to the potential ability to use magic as Crystal. Ranma actually looked as confused as Ryoga.  
  
"I guess I'll be taking my leave," I said and stepped out the door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
After school I had imediately began my search for my apartment. As I had expected I couldn't find it anywhere. After going around in a circle about eight times, I ended up at Nerima District Park again, signaling that I was still going around in circles.  
  
"This is getting insane," I said to myself as I took a seat by the fountain in the middle of the park. I was not about to go on a wild goose chase looking for a building that seemed to have sprouted wings and flown off somewhere.  
  
That was when I saw Ryoga walking by. I knew what this part of the story implied and I was all for doing something other than searching for an apartment that by all means didn't seem to exist.  
  
"You appear lost Ryoga," I said.  
  
Ryoga stopped in his tracks, recognition dawning on him imediately. He said, "I was just on my way to the Tendo Dojo."  
  
"I could help you get there," I offered, as I had done in a certain role playing game, "everyone at Furinkan knows about you and your sense of direction."  
  
Ryoga shrugged, "And what reason do you have to help me?"  
  
"Who needs a reason?" I asked.  
  
"You aren't like the other people around here are you?" asked Ryoga.  
  
I shook my head, "In fact you could say I'm not exactly from around here. Of coarse even where I do come from, people like me are hard to come by."  
  
"Well then, lead the way," said Ryoga.  
  
And so I did.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I stood at the door to the Tendo Household with a little black piglet perched on my shoulder. The plan was to return him as P-chan so that nothing would look too suspicious. Of coarse things never seemed to go as planned, as least not as far as Crystal was concerned, and in which case I was now concerned.  
  
It was around this time that Ranma Saotome came flying out of the ceiling and crashed into a wall a short distance behind the two of us. I sighed, things really did seem to be following the same rules as the role playing game I had been involved in. A second later Akane came stormming out, mallet in hand, and prepared to hit Ranma again for whatever it was he had just done or said.  
  
"I don't mean to interupt," I said as if nothing unusual was going on, "but I believe I have something that belongs to you."  
  
After hitting Ranma, now in the other direction, and clear into the Koi pond, Akane took notice of who had been talking to her. I removed Ryoga/P- chan from my shoulder and said, "I saw him at the park so I thought I should return him."  
  
Akane took the little black piglet, "Thanks. Aren't you in my class?"  
  
I nodded. It was gettling closer and closer to the time where my little secret wouldn't be so secret. I remember exactly why I had made Crystal let everyone believe she was a boy and that was the simple matter of 'the less they know about me, the better'. In this world there was no actual need to cover up so much and I was going to clear up the little issue about me being a girl.  
  
Ranma, in girl form, walked back to the front of the Tendo Household and noticed who was there. Of coarse her focus took a different turn, "So are you assisting the pig-headed fool?"  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I said with a slight shrug of my shoulders giving the indication that I really had no clue what Ranma was talking about.  
  
Akane glared at Ranma, "What ARE you talking about? He just came here to return P-chan."  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Whatever. He doesn't act like any other boys I know."  
  
The role playing game storyline had just shifted and was no longer going the same way it had. Well there was no way for me to go along with something I didn't know so it was time for me to start being myself.  
  
"You've got me Ranma, I'm not a boy and neither are you currently," I said revealing what should have been slightly obvious to those truly paying attention.  
  
And then there was a piercing silence.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. Identity Crisis

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
Ranma, in girl form, walked back to the front of the Tendo Household and noticed who was there. Of coarse her focus took a different turn, "So are you assisting the pig-headed fool?"  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I said with a slight shrug of my shoulders giving the indication that I really had no clue what Ranma was talking about.  
  
Akane glared at Ranma, "What ARE you talking about? He just came here to return P-chan."  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Whatever. He doesn't act like any other boys I know."  
  
The role playing game storyline had just shifted and was no longer going the same way it had. Well there was no way for me to go along with something I didn't know so it was time for me to start being myself.  
  
"You've got me Ranma, I'm not a boy and neither are you currently," I said revealing what should have been slightly obvious to those truly paying attention.  
  
And then there was a piercing silence.  
  
------Identity Crisis------  
  
Ranma broke down laughing a split second later. If Ryoga/P-chan had been in human form he would have lost the potential ability to speak again, judging from the look on the little piglet's face. I couldn't figure out what was so funny about my revelation, but then again this is Ranma we're talking about. Considering all the strange stuff that goes on in Nerima on a regular basis, Akane didn't appear that surprised at all.  
  
"You certainly have everyone fooled," noted Akane.  
  
I shrugged, "I just let them believe what they wanted to and everyone mistook me for a boy."  
  
Ranma stopped laughing and asked, "Would you like a list of reasons why everyone could possibly think that?"  
  
I shrugged again, "I dunno, maybe it's because I look, act and dress like a boy on a regular basis because I'm a tomboy. Or maybe it's because some people just don't pay attention and just think based on first appearences. Of coarse whenever I was in a swimsuit they all thought I was someone else, aside from the faculty members who were totally aware of the fact that I was a girl the whole time."  
  
Ranma blinked, "And that doesn't bother you?"  
  
"Of coarse not," I said casting aside the odd looks I was being given by both Ranma and Akane, and not to mention a certain little black piglet.  
  
"Woah, she's more of a tomboy than you are Akane," stated Ranma once again with a big smile plastered on her face. It seemed like nothing could actually surprise her enough to keep her mouth shut.  
  
Akane's mallet flashed into existence at that statement. *CRACK!* Then Ranma was sent sailing into a small orbit, away from the Tendo Household. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the mallet was gone. No wonder Ryoga hadn't bothered asking me about the little thing in the locker room when I had materialized his clothes [although by now both he and Ranma must have been wondering what the heck I had been doing in the boys locker room to begin with].  
  
"Eh...I suppose I should get going...I don't want to cause any more trouble," I suggested beginning to turn around. I added quietly to myself, "My apartment could take the remainder of the afternoon to locate-"  
  
"Are you lost?" asked Akane.  
  
I shrugged, "I don't know if this could be defined as lost...I've been to exactly where my apartment was this morning and by all means it seems to have vanished. Don't worry, this happens every day, and I always manage to find it eventually."  
  
"I guess we'll be seeing you again tomorrow then," said Akane.  
  
I nodded, "Sounds about right to me."  
  
With that I took off once again in search of a certain apartment. I didn't notice the fact that the strap that was holding my sword, currently sheathed, over my shoulder had come undone and that the object in question fell to the ground, as I ran off, without a sound [magic objects tend to do that].  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I stopped off at Nerima District Park to take a short rest. I had been doing a lot of walking during the coarse of the afternoon and I was starting to get tired. I caught sight of Ranma, still in girl form, lodged in a tree. At the moment she was trying to get herself out of the hole she had made through the tree.  
  
"She did not have to hit me that hard," muttered a very disoriented Ranma as she collapsed to the ground after getting out of the tree.  
  
My conscience got the better of me, "Well this was my fault...I guess I should help him out."  
  
By the time I got over to her, Ranma was on her feet again, but still looked like a complete mess from her earlier flight.  
  
I snapped the fingers of my right hand and materialized a tea kettle, complete with hot water. I asked, "Would you like to return to normal Ranma?"  
  
Ranma nodded and accepted the kettle, pouring the contents on her head and thus returning to boy form. Then he asked, "Do you always go making things appear out of thin air?"  
  
"It beats carrying everything..." I said. "Perhaps I owe everyone an explanation about what is going on with me, but currently I'm not even sure what is going on. I guess the only thing for me to do now is look for my apartment..."  
  
Ranma blinked, "Are you lost?"  
  
"Not exactly," I muttered, growing quite annoyed with what I had originally designed as a role playing joke. When it came right down to it, I liked being able to find my place of residence and just kick back and relax. I continued, "I can find any other place in Nerima, except for my apartment. You'd think it could sprout wings and fly away..."  
  
"Most normal people would find that weird, but considering the things I've seen, that doesn't sound all that unusual," said Ranma.  
  
I just realized that something was missing, "Ack! I must have dropped it when I took off before..."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Ranma.  
  
"I must have dropped my sword when I took off to make another round of looking for my apartment," I answered. "Leave it to me not to notice something like that..."  
  
Ranma said, "So I suppose that means you dropped it on your way here...which means you'll have to go back to the Tendo House again."  
  
"I certainly can't be leaving my sword behind," I sighed.  
  
We began walking back to the Tendo House.  
  
"So you don't take being called a tomboy as an insult?" asked Ranma.  
  
"If I haven't taken being refered to as a boy as an insult, what would make me feel insulted by being called a tomboy?" I asked.  
  
"Good point," said Ranma.  
  
"Besides, I am the one who admitted to being a tomboy in the first place," I added with a laugh.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
When we arrived back at the Tendo House, I easily located and recovered my sword. I strapped the sword over my shoulder again and made certain it was secure.  
  
"I'll be on my way now," I said, "see ya."  
  
"Uh...sure," said Ranma.  
  
With that I began walking in the direction of my apartment again. I was certain that I would find it sooner or later, so I might as well just keep on looking.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I was approaching Nerima district park for the umpteenth time that day when suddenly I felt something heavy hit me over the head. I could have sworn I saw stars swirling in front of my eyes before I lost consciousness.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
When I opened my eyes I was in a large room, that was dimly lit, laying on what appeared to be a hospital bed. I blinked several times adjusting my vision to the dim lighting and took a look around. The room looked familiar, but in my half-conscious state I couldn't quite place where I had seen it before.  
  
"So you're awake," said a voice much to cheerful to be coming from a being deemed a mad scientist.  
  
"Eh...did someone get the number of that bus?" I asked dumbly.  
  
Washu stated, "You really haven't been yourself since that energy disturbance I traced to your apartment this morning Crystal. Then again, you already knew that, and of coarse I already figured out why."  
  
At this point I was fully away and sitting up. I could help asking, "Why did you have me hit over the head before I got here?"  
  
"Well I couldn't very well transport you awake...my new transporter device doesn't work like that," answered Washu. "Of coarse you aren't really Crystal, at least not mentally. You are Rachel, but what does that matter when in reality you and Crystal and very much the same person."  
  
I yawned, "I dunno what you're talking about. Crystal is a character I designed."  
  
Washu persued her statement, "Ah, but where did the primary basis for your character come from?"  
  
"Myself I guess," I answered, "but how could she and I be one and the same?"  
  
"You and she are more alike than you want to admit. She shares your feelings of being alone and scared. She has your determination and spirit. She also has the confidence and courage that you believe you have lost. Sure she has a bunch of cool special powers, but those are what you imagine you would have in a world like the one your dream about," said Washu. "Maybe when you figure out who you really are you will be able to go home if you want to."  
  
I let the idea sink in, "Well for now I plan to keep being Crystal. After all, the people around here expect to see Crystal, not Rachel."  
  
"Suit yourself," said Washu.  
  
With that I was rendered unconscious again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I was myself again when I openned my eyes. I was looking at Crystal in front of me, but I could feel that I was back to myself, even if I was still quite animated.  
  
"So you are enjoying this new life of yours?" asked Crystal.  
  
I nodded, "There are still a few bugs to workout, but I can handle it."  
  
"Good luck," said Crystal before disappearing.  
  
"Thanks...I think," I said to myself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I woke up on my futon, back in my apartment with my school bag next to me. I was Crystal again. It was extremely early, even by my standards, but I figured the reason my brain had woken my up was cause I still had homework to do.  
  
I sighed, "One of the problems is that I still have school in this world..."  
  
I walked over to the calander I had checked before and noticed that a date was marked. At least summer in this world was only a week away in this world.  
  
I wondered to myself, "What will summer be like for me as Crystal?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
As sunrise finally came I was finished the homework I had been awake so early to complete. Now was the time for making breakfast of some kind and getting ready for a new day. I was quite against the idea of wearing the same outfit two days in a row. With that in mind I decided the first thing for someone like me to do was to take a shower.  
  
While I took my shower I thought a little about what Washu had told me. I came to the conclusion that until I was comfortable with this new world I would keep up the Crystal act. It was true that Crystal did hold the confidence and courage that I believed I had lost and it was much easier to pretend I still had it than to believe I still had it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once I was out of the shower and dry I snapped my fingers to materialize myself a new outfit. I settled on a pair of black Gi-like pants and a sleeveless green Chinese-style top with a dragon and phoenix pattern on it. I smirked at myself in the mirror thinking how nice it was that I could at least use my wardrobe from my world.  
  
I left the bathroom and went back to the main room of the apartment. I looked to the sword that was resting against the coathanger and decided that I could do without it. I went to the kitchen and started on my breakfast.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once I was finished with breakfast and everything else that needed doing in the morning, I decided I was ready to go. It was still pretty early, but I decided that an early start would probably give me some time to think. I lifed my school bag off of the couch and walked out the door.  
  
"I've got a long day ahead of me..." I muttered to myself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Who Agreed to This!

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
I yawned, "I dunno what you're talking about. Crystal is a character I designed."  
  
Washu persued her statement, "Ah, but where did the primary basis for your character come from?"  
  
"Myself I guess," I answered, "but how could she and I be one and the same?"  
  
"You and she are more alike than you want to admit. She shares your feelings of being alone and scared. She has your determination and spirit. She also has the confidence and courage that you believe you have lost. Sure she has a bunch of cool special powers, but those are what you imagine you would have in a world like the one your dream about," said Washu. "Maybe when you figure out who you really are you will be able to go home if you want to."  
  
I let the idea sink in, "Well for now I plan to keep being Crystal. After all, the people around here expect to see Crystal, not Rachel."  
  
------Who Agreed to This?!------  
  
My early morning stroll through town was pleasant enough. At least it was quiet and I was given a little time to clear my head and go over the things that had occured in the last twenty-four hours. At that time I was rather confused and so deep in thought that I didn't notice much of what was going on around me. To be honest it was much like what happened when I got to school early in my world and just wandered aimlessly around the school grounds; the big difference was I wasn't yet at school and I was wandering aimless around a much larger area.  
  
In fact I was so involved in my thoughts that I failed to realize just where I had wandered to. I was at Nerima District Park yet again. It was a fitting location and a place I quite often used as the central location for role playing. A peaceful place like the park in early morning was the perfect place to try and clear one's head.  
  
I was about to sit down by the park fountain when something caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks. Wandering around the park was the same little black piglet I had dropped off at the Tendo House the previous evening. I sighed and walked over to P-chan/Ryoga.  
  
"You look like you could use some help," I said.  
  
The little pig nodded, obviously recognizing who I was and that was more than capable of being helpful. I snapped my fingers and materialized two things of importance, his clothes and a tea kettle full of hot water. I placed the clothes beside him, poured the contents of the kettle over his head and turned around so he could put his clothes on.  
  
"I assume Ranma had something to do with this," I said without turning around.  
  
Ryoga muttered, "I define him kicking me out of a window as having a lot to do with my present situation. Well you can turn around now..." The fact that I was a girl registered to him after he stopped muttering about Ranma. "S..s..so uh...wh...what..br..brings..y..you...h..here?"  
  
I turned around and sweatdropped, "You realize that yesterday you had no trouble talking to me even though by all means I've been a girl the whole time and now suddenly you are stuttering like an idiot. I was just wandering around aimlessly to clear my head and relax a little before going to school."  
  
Ryoga snapped out of it almost instantly as the fact that I was indeed the same person I had been the day before hit him. Then he asked the question I had been expecting, "So if you're a girl, what in the world were you doing in the boys locker room yesterday?!"  
  
"Uh...the funny thing about that is," I answered trying to sound at least partially serious, "I have no clue."  
  
It was Ryoga's turn to sweatdrop.  
  
"I did manage to get back to my apartment though," I stated before he asked the other question that had probably been eating away at the people who knew about my little 'problem'.  
  
"Uh...I don't suppose you could help me get back to the Tendo House?" asked Ryoga.  
  
I shrugged, "Not a problem. I have plenty of time before school starts." I started walking, "Just follow me."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
There was little need for explanation once I had taken Ryoga to the Tendo House. Ranma and Akane were just heading out on the way to Furinkan and it turned out I had less time on my hands than I thought [ok so I should have been wearing a watch, big deal]. Ryoga said hello to Akane and then wandered off saying something about a training trip in the mountains.  
  
Since all of us were kind of behind schedule, I ended up joining Ranma and Akane in running to the school.  
  
"So you're trying to look more like a girl today I see," noted Ranma from his place running on top of the fence.  
  
Akane swung her bookbag at Ranma's head, and he dodged it. This happened about eight more times before Ranma lost his balance on a loose section of fence and fell in the water that was on the other side, going instantly female.  
  
"This is just great," muttered a very soaked Ranma as she jumped back over the fence.  
  
I shrugged, "I wasn't actually trying to look more like a girl, but you know Ranma, you don't even have to try."  
  
Ranma was about to make some rude comeback, but I was ready for that too. With a snap of my fingers I was holding yet another kettle of hot water.  
  
"You want this, don't you?" I asked.  
  
Ranma nodded and decided to back off. She took the kettle and poured the contents over her head returning to being a boy.  
  
"We should get moving or we're going to be late," noted Akane.  
  
"Uh...right," agreed Ranma and I at the same time.  
  
All three of us broke into a run for Furinkan High School once again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
As we entered the school gates, we were greeted by Tatewaki Kuno, who was as usual trying to free both of his beloveds from the clutches of Ranma Saotome. He probably would have issued a morning challenge, except for the fact that I was with Ranma and Akane and by all means he couldn't seem to register who I was. "I see you've lured another young girl into your clutches you tyrant!"  
  
"I am not being lured into anything!" I shouted defensively.  
  
At the same time Ranma shouted, "I am not a tyrant!"  
  
Akane decided to resolve the situation so that the three of us wouldn't be any later than we already were. "Upperclassman Kuno, you remember Crystal don't you?"  
  
Kuno couldn't seem to register the name to my current appearence. "You must be joking, this is a lovely girl. The one called Crystal is a man."  
  
"I really have been meaning to clear that up, but it is quite difficult to clear the public opinion when popular belief states that I am a boy," I said.  
  
"What brainwashing spells have you cast on this one Saotome?!" shouted Kuno drawing forth his bokken ready to strike Ranma. If he couldn't find an answer he liked, the obvious solution seemed to be 'blame Ranma'.  
  
*CRACK!* A rather large phonebook connected with Kuno's head. He fell over with a nice thud and proceded to lose consciousness.  
  
"That always seems to come in handy," I smirked to myself.  
  
Ranma couldn't help asking, "How did you do that?"  
  
"The same way I materialize everything else out of thin air," I answered.  
  
"How's that?" probed Ranma.  
  
"It's a trade secret," I answered. "Now I believe we should be getting to class before Miss Hinako gets any ideas that involve the draining of battle aura. I like my energy right where it is."  
  
With that we headed to class, leaving a very unconscious, and sure to be confused Tatewaki Kuno on the ground.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Because of the little interruption when we tried to get to class, we ended up late. At least all we had to do was stand in the hall holding buckets of water, because I really didn't feel like losing my energy. Being quiet was something I was naturally good at, I didn't have any trouble standing quietly.  
  
Ranma was fuming, obviously thinking of a dozen things he wanted to do about the Kuno problem. His battle aura was quite visible and was causing the water in his buckets to boil. Akane and I subconsciously edge away so as not to get burned.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was a relief when school was over. I stayed an hour after school to do my homework so I wouldn't have to do it in the middle of the night again. After that I made my way to Nerima District Park. I highly doubted Washu would be interfering today and the odds were it would take me a much longer time to reach my apartment.  
  
"I could start looking now," I said to myself while sitting up in a tree overlooking most of the park, "or I could explore Nerima a bit."  
  
I decided to go with the latter. It made more sense to try and enjoy my time in my new world rather than make myself miserable going on another wild goose chase that I already knew the end result of. I jumped out of the tree and started walking in a random direction to do some exploring.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
As I was walking, I started looking up at the sky thinking ~Those clouds are cool looking...that one looks like a dragon...and oh, there's a phoenix...and even...~ I was rudely knocked back to planet earth as I crashed head on into a brick wall. It took me a few minutes to reorient myself enough to peel back from the wall and regain my composure. My head was spinning.  
  
"Where the heck did that wall come from?!" I muttered, beginning to walk away back in the direction of Nerima District Park.  
  
A sensation of danger made me stop in my tracks. I ducked down just as a bonbori went flying over my head. Just what I needed, the Amazon known as Shampoo.  
  
"What in the world was that for?!" I shouted.  
  
Shampoo merely answered, "New girl seen with Ranma, Shampoo remove before cause trouble."  
  
"First of all the name is Crystal! Secondly, I don't have a clue what you're getting at because quite frankly I have a severe lack of interest in getting involved in relationships!" I shouted trying to get my point through to Shampoo.  
  
I jumped aside as a flurry of spatulas flew past me. This was not going well. I obviously couldn't talk my way through this situation if the people I was trying to reason with weren't even listening.  
  
"I'm not going to let you have all the fun Shampoo," said Ukyo jumping down from a nearby rooftop.  
  
I argued, "I didn't do anything!"  
  
Ever since this little show had left the storyboard of that role playing game and started writing itself it had been nothing short of confusing. Now I was scared and I had no idea what I should be doing. I really wished that I had my sword, but that was back at my apartment. It struck me that I was totally alone and I was the only one that could control how this would effect me.  
  
"Then what were you doing with Ranma-honey this morning?" asked Ukyo.  
  
At least she was listening to me, which was less than I could say about Shampoo who took another swing at my head. I dodged it again of coarse.  
  
After I was out of harms way I answered, "Well I was sort of helping Ryoga get to the Training Hall to see Akane and it turned out I was short on time for reaching school. Ranma and Akane invited me to go along with them and I went along with it since we were all headed the same way. It doesn't really mean anything..."  
  
Then a third figure came in out of nowhere, twirling a ribbon and laughing maniacally. I sure as hell did not need this. Before I knew what was happening, I was paralyzed. I sighed ~Do what you want with me, but I won't fight back.~ I lost consciousness a split second later.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I woke up and took in my surroundings. It took me a second to figure out where I was, and then there was a matter of me remembering what had happened. My head was killing me and I was sore all over. It must have been the side-effect of the paralysis poweder or something, but one thing was certain, I was still very much alive.  
  
"You were out of it for a while," said Akane.  
  
I tried to talk, but had trouble finding my voice.  
  
Ranma added, "Ukyo already explained everything that happened. Apparently when Kuno got involved, the news about you being a girl spread fast. Of coarse it hit everyone differently..."  
  
I sighed, "Well I hope that was the worst of it..."  
  
"Sorry I attacked you," said Ukyo.  
  
"Don't worry about it," I said, "everyone makes mistakes. It's all a part of being human." I attempted to sit up and fell right back to lying on the floor of the Dojo.  
  
Akane said, "It looks like Kodachi decided to test a new stronger version of her paralysis powder on you."  
  
I muttered, "Well it worked." I was tired and within a few minutes I was asleep again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I woke up later, able to move and no longer in pain. I was on the couch in my apartment and my schoolbag was on the table with a note attached to it. I read the note.  
  
-To Crystal, We decided to take you back to your apartment so you wouldn't have to waste your time with that when you woke up. It wasn't all that hard to find which might suggest that it does sprout wings and fly away when you are looking for it. See ya at school tomorrow. ~Ranma, Akane and Ukyo  
  
I smiled, "Well at least that is something to look forward to."  
  
It was almost summer and I was starting to fit into the happenings in Nerima. Things were going my way.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's Note3: From here on in the episodes will be a bit more random and most likely more comical. This episode took a little longer to write because I've been so caught up in my role playing and doing stuff away from the computer. The next episode will be up as soon as it is done.  
  
I feel more like writing when I know people are looking forward to it. That means that when I get good reviews I feel more inspired to continue writing. Well that's all for now. 


	4. Summer, Mobile Suit Pilots and Space Col...

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Author's Note: In this story, the Gundam Wing universe and the Digimon Tamers universe will be used along with some of their respective characters.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
After my rough start in the realm of anime I had managed to end up in, I began was starting to get used to it. Eventually the daily attacks on me stopped and Furinkan High School's school year ended for summer. The day that summer began I got totally lost. After what seemed like weeks of wandering around Japan I met up with Ryoga in Yokohama.  
  
We decided that we had a better chance of getting back to Nerima if we worked together. Then we ended up in an unusual hallway that was all metal with various panels and doorways all over the place. It looked vaguely familiar to me.  
  
I stopped and looked out a window that happened to be on one of the walls, "Eh...Ryoga I think you should take a look at this..."  
  
Ryoga did so, looked away, looked back and yelled, "IF THE EARTH IS OUT THERE THEN WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!?!?!"  
  
------Summer, Mobile Suit Pilots and Space Colonies------  
  
Ryoga's voice echoed down the hallway several times before it was quiet again. I let out a sigh trying to figure out where I had seen this place, or a place like it, before. Before I had much more time to think however, a group of five boys around the same age as Ryoga and myself turned down a different hallway and came to face us.  
  
"They must of heard you yelling," I noted keeping my cool.  
  
Ryoga sighed, "Maybe we can ask them for directions."  
  
"If they don't shoot us first," I informed him.  
  
Ryoga went pale.  
  
The five boys that had come down the hallway were wearing preventor jackets. I finally figured out why this place looked so familiar. Ryoga and I had somehow stumbled into the Gundam Wing universe. We were very lost.  
  
I could hear the former gundam pilots talking in whispers, but I couldn't make out much of what was being said.  
  
"They sure don't look like they work for the military and we were told that all the civilians were evacuated from the colony," shouted Duo. He was the only one not whispering.  
  
"Maxwell keep your voice down," commanded Wufei.  
  
Duo sulks, but after being given a fierce glare from Heero he decided to listen to Wufei for once. There was another round of whispering before the group looked at us again.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" asks Heero doing his best not to sound as confused as he felt. Being the perfect soldier that was actually know challenge. Keeping Duo quiet was something else altogether.  
  
"I am Crystal Mizuka," I answered.  
  
"And I'm Ryoga Hibiki," answered Ryoga. "We are lost and if you would kindly tell us where we are we can be on our way."  
  
Duo started laughing, "Lost. That's a good one! I didn't know it was possible to get lost in one of these colonies, what with the hologram maps everywhere."  
  
Ryoga growled, revealing his fangs.  
  
Duo blinked a few times, "Oh, so the next thing you're going to tell us is that you are a vampire."  
  
Heero casually swung his fist backwards into Duo's face, rendering him unconscious before he was able to hit the colony floor. I sighed, only Heero could casually knock someone out.  
  
"Like my friend here said, could you tell us where we are?" I asked.  
  
Quatre answered, "Well this is X-194263, a colony that has become unstable and is under order to be destroyed. We recieved word that a military operation was taking place within the colony and were sent to investigate. As preventers it is our job to stop wars from starting."  
  
"Oh great," muttered Wufei, "tell total strangers everything. And what if they are part of the military organization that has taken over this colony and disrupted the self-destruct sequence?"  
  
Quatre made a strange noise, "I'm sorry, but they really don't look like they belong in any military organization."  
  
"Damn strait," I said.  
  
Ryoga added, "The most we are is a pair of martial artists that are hopelessly lost."  
  
"Believe me, I have no clue how we got in here," I said.  
  
Quatre said, "I believe them."  
  
"You would," muttered Wufei. "Woman are sneaky and shouldn't be trusted."  
  
It was my turn to start growling, only I was growling at Wufei and not Duo.  
  
"Hey look, she has fangs too," noted Quatre.  
  
I stopped growling and didn't say anything. I stood very still. The only thing that made it apparent that I was still conscious was a phonebook that suddenly crashed, very loudly, onto Wufei's head. Wufei hit the floor with a pleasant thud, and joined Duo in the realm of unconsciousness. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the phonebook was gone.  
  
Heero and Quatre blinked in confusion and surprise as Wufei was rendered unconscious by a phonebook that had appeared out of thin air. Trowa didn't appear surprised as he didn't do or say anything.  
  
Ryoga pointed out the window, "So when is the next flight back to planet Earth?"  
  
Quatre had lost the ability to speak and his eyes were still on the unconscious form of Wufei. That left Heero and Trowa available to explain. Trowa didn't say anything.  
  
"We will be returning to the Earth after we complete our mission," answered Heero. "You will come with us for questioning and interogation."  
  
"WHAT?!" shouted both Ryoga and I at the exact same time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
After a great deal of spying around the colony the mission was accomplished and our much larger group was in a moderately sized shuttle back to the Earth. Everyone was conscious again and Heero was holding a detonator in his hand.  
  
Once the shuttle was a safe distance away from the unstable colony, Heero pushed the small red button on the top of the detonator and said his famous words, "Mission Complete."  
  
The colony exploded with a well defined bang. The shockwave of the explosion caused the shuttle to shake a bit. The military personnel were tied up in the cargo section of the shuttle. Duo was playing the role of pilot so that he would remain quiet for a little while, during which time a rational questioning session could be held. As such the rest of us were seated around a small table in the passenger quarters of the shuttle.  
  
"Now explain again how what you were doing in the colony we just destroyed," said Heero.  
  
I decided to answer so as to keep the yelling to a minimum, "We already told you. We got lost and we have no idea how we got in the colony."  
  
"And so you choose to stick to the same story?" muttered Wufei who was giving me a cold glare. He had obviously figured out where the phonebook must have come from.  
  
"Yes we do," answered Ryoga. "Take it or leave it, but we are just trying to find our way back to Nerima, Japan."  
  
I really should have been explaining him that we weren't even in his world anymore. There probably was a Nerima, Japan in the Gundam Wing universe anyway, it just wouldn't be the same one we had come from. That we could deal with when we were far away from the boys with the guns [when your brother owns his own BB Gun you learn to fear them and keep your distance].  
  
"And you don't know how you got such a long distance away from Nerima?" questioned Heero.  
  
Why the heck wasn't Quatre asking any of the questions. Quatre I could deal with. Heero spent all of his time glaring at us. Wufei was mostly glaring at me and not paying attention to Ryoga. Then there was the fact that Trowa was remaining totally neutral and no one could tell what he was actually thinking of the situation. So far I hadn't even heard him talk. I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable and Ryoga was starting to radiate the usual heavy energy that tends to result in a Shi Shi Hokodan.  
  
"Like we've been telling you, we got lost," I answered.  
  
Ryoga added, "Neither of us has the worlds best sense of direction."  
  
The door from the cockpit openned, revealing Duo who was back to grinning like an idiot. His appearence earned him a glare from Heero and Wufei. He took an empty seat at the table and ignored the glares he was recieving.  
  
"I got bored so I set up the auto pilot," said Duo. "Do you guys mind if I ask a question?"  
  
Wufei shrugged, "Not at all. Go ahead and make a fool of yourself for all I care Maxwell."  
  
Duo directed his next question at Ryoga and I, "Are you two related?"  
  
I was caught totally off guard and Ryoga had an interesting combination of shock and confusion on his face. Apparently that was the reaction that Duo had been hoping for because he promptly broke down laughing. I was tempted to drop a phonebook on his head, which I am certain Wufei would have approved of.  
  
"I'll take that as a no," said Duo once he recovered from his laughing fit.  
  
Heero glared at him, "Are you through?"  
  
Duo nodded, "I'm finished."  
  
"Good," said Heero.  
  
Quatre spoke up, "Well since there isn't anything we can hold you on, you are free to go. Well free to go when we reach the earth that is."  
  
Ryoga and I both let out sighs of relief.  
  
"Now perhaps we should go over the introductions that we haven't yet gone through yet. We already asked you your names, but we haven't introduced ourselves," said Quatre. "I am Quatre Raberba Winner."  
  
"Heero Yuy," was all that Heero said.  
  
"I am Wufei Chang," said Wufei. [I am well aware what most of you fans out there believe, but I will stick to what I consider reliable information]  
  
"I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell, who may run and hide, but never tells a lie," said Duo going through his whole introduction like it was the coolest thing ever. "My enemies know me as the God of Death!" He indicated Trowa, "And the guy who virtually never speaks is Trowa Barton."  
  
Trowa acknowledged us, but as usual said nothing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
A half hour later we were all deeply involved in a game of poker, except for Quatre who thought it was gambling. When we put down our cards I had a three of a kind. Ryoga, Heero and Duo each had two pairs. Wufei had one pair. Trowa and a full house.  
  
"Trowa you've won the last eight games!" shouted Duo.  
  
"We've only played eight games," noted Trowa, speaking for the first time since we had arrived in the Gundam Wing universe.  
  
Wufei shrugged and decided to stop playing cards with us. He sat down in his chair and began sharpening his katana which he removed from concealment. He had a look on his face that said, "Maxwell, this time I will chop off your braid."  
  
Duo saw this and gulped before joining us in another hand of poker. Trowa won this game too and we all decided to stop playing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour before we had to prepare to land on Earth the scene had changed slightly. Wufei was still sharpening his katana and glaring at Duo. Heero and Trowa were playing chess [I have no idea where the chess set came from, it just kind of appeared like so many other things].  
  
Duo had accidentally knocked a glass of water onto Ryoga, who had become a little black piglet. There were multiple scratches on Duo's face where P- chan had brutally attacked with his hoves. P-chan was currently laying on a chair, his clothing piled on the table in front of him, waiting for a kettle of water to be heated. Quatre was the one heating the water for P- chan, after I had explained the Jusenkyo curse situation to him, although he was currently reading a book while waiting for the water to heat up.  
  
After looking around at what the others were busy doing, I looked out the window, mostly watching as the Earth got bigger and bigger as we got closer and closer.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
After the shuttle landed, we said our good byes to the former gundam pilots. They hauled off the military officers and went on there way. Ryoga and I headed off in our own direction, trying to get back to Nerima, Japan and the world we were supposed to be in.  
  
We were blinded by a bright flash of light and found ourselves in a forest. I noted that before we had arrived in the hallway I had seen a similar flash of light. I also noted that this forest looked extremely familiar.  
  
Culumon popped out of a bush, "You digimon sure look funny."  
  
I sweatdropped.  
  
Ryoga shouted, "WHERE THE HELL ARE WE NOW?!?!?!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's Note4: Well that episode took me longer than I thought it would to write. It also didn't turn out as long as I initially thought it would. It just goes to show that you can never predict these sort of things. As always, the next episode will be up when I finish writing it.  
  
This fanfiction is sponsered by my friend Nick at http://websiteofnick.tripod.com/home  
  
Until next time, consider joining the Holy Church of Weirdliness at http://weirdliness.tripod.com/home if you are like me and can't get enough random humor. The Holy Church of Weirdliness is also sponsered by Nick. 


	5. Crystal and Crystal? You Have Got to be...

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
It was a typical summer day in Nerima. The sun was out and the sky was blue. Everything seemed right with the world. How long could that possibly last?  
  
I was on a quiet, relaxing walk through the park. Then I was rendered unconscious by a blow to the head.  
  
------Crystal and Crystal? You Have Got to be Kidding!------  
  
I woke up in a very familiar location. Washu had teleported me into her lab again, but I couldn't have begun to guess the reason why. I sat up on the examination table I had been sleeping on and took a look around to find the mad scientist and get some answers as to why I had been summoned to this place again.  
  
"So you're awake," said Washu's voice, from behind me.  
  
I spun around, "Yes, I'm awake. What am I doing here?"  
  
Washu actually gave me a strait answer, "I've come up with a way to prove to you what I was talking about when I said that you and Crystal are really one and the same."  
  
I blinked in confusion. Washu continued, "I have developed a machine that will allow you both to exist in the same world at the same time, this world to be precise."  
  
"After what you pulled on me and Ryoga with that dimensional portal device, you want me to trust you with a new machine that you probably haven't tested?" I asked.  
  
Washu nodded, "You catch on fast."  
  
"Why not," I answered, "this story needs a plot anyway."  
  
The machine itself was nothing special. It consisted of three giant glass test-tube devices connected by various cables. The cables in turn had one main cable that connected off to a computer monitor. Only Washu would know how this machine worked.  
  
She led me to this mysterious machine and instructed me, "You go into the center tube and I'll do the rest."  
  
The central tube was lifed into the air by one of the many cables connected to the top of it and I walked underneath. It was then lowered over me. I saw Washu at the computer monitor, having materialized one of her special keyboards out of thin air. She was typing away and I realized that there would be no turning back now.  
  
There was a surge of electricity around me and then I found myself in one of the other tubes. I was to the right of the central tube and Crystal was in the tube to the left. The tube I was currently in lifted off of the ground and I stepped out. Crystal did the same as the tube she was in was lifted.  
  
A mirror rose up in front of me and I looked upon my true self. I was still animated, something to do with this world, but I no longer looked the part of Crystal. Sure I looked almost exactly like her, but the major difference was the fact that there was no scar going down my right arm and I was dressed differently. I also didn't look as strong as Crystal. I was wearing black Gi-like pants and a short-sleeved, dark purple Chinese-style shirt with an interesting vine pattern on it.  
  
Crystal on the other hand was dressed in her standard black jeans and tank- top. Her sword was strapped over her left shoulder and she looked ready for anything.  
  
"So, Washu, have you come up with some kind of cover-up story we can so that this doesn't confuse too many people in Nerima?" asked Crystal.  
  
Washu answered, "That I have. For the next 672 hours you two will be posing as cousins."  
  
"In other words this machine only lets us stay in the same world at the same time for four weeks," I said after going over the calculations in my head.  
  
"Exactly," answered Washu. "When your time is done, you will go back to being Crystal in this world unless you choose to return to your world as yourself. If you want to both co-exist in the same world for a longer time period I will need to use the machine again or develop a more powerful machine to extend the time limit."  
  
"That doesn't sound so bad," I said.  
  
Crystal couldn't help asking, "What will happen to me after the 672 hours?"  
  
"Well you will either have to go to Rachel's world and pretend to be her while she pretends to be you, or you will return to being yourself," answered Washu. "Rachel's choices will effect the both of you because she is the original being."  
  
"That seems fair I guess," agreed Crystal.  
  
I nodded, "Alright, so what do we do first?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal and I were led out of Washu's lab and into the dining room of the Masaki house. It was close to lunch time and everyone was gathered around the table, aside from Tenchi's grandfather who was minding the shrine and Tenchi's father who was working. Tenchi was present since it was summer.  
  
"We'll start with a few tests to make sure you two can act like cousins," stated Washu. "Crystal I want you to introduce Rachel to everyone as your cousin, so we'll start here."  
  
Crystal nodded and presented me to the assembled group, "This is my cousin Rachel, she is visiting from California."  
  
"A pleasure to meet all of you," I added.  
  
Washu smiled, "That was pretty good, especially considering everyone here was already expecting it. I wouldn't be surprised if people in Nerima are convinced that there are two Crystals roaming around for a while though."  
  
I blinked, "Do we look that much alike?"  
  
Washu nodded.  
  
"Can we eat now," suggested Ryoko. "All that waiting for the experiment kinda made me hungry."  
  
So Crystal and I joined the Tenchi gang for lunch before it was time for us to test our cousin act out in Nerima.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
We were led back into Washu's lab and quickly rendered unconscious after we ate lunch with the Tenchi gang. That could only mean one thing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I regained consciousness shortly after Crystal. I noticed that I was back in the apartment that I had of coarse made up for Crystal, but now I would be staying in because I was supposed to be posing as Crystal's cousin. Talk about a complicated situation.  
  
"Shall we test our act out on the town?" asked Crystal.  
  
I rubbed my head before answering, "I guess so. I really wish Washu would find a better way to activate her teleporting device..."  
  
"Definately," agreed Crystal.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
We started at Nerima District Park [what can I say, I like that location]. I noticed that even as myself I retained the same awareness of the area as I had when I was Crystal. I could still understand and speak to everyone no problem and I was guessing that unlike when I was Crystal, I would be able to locate the apartment when it was time to look for it again.  
  
Ryoga happened to be the first person we ran into. He was wandering around the park again, probably without a clue that he had made it back to Nerima.  
  
"Yo, Ryoga, what brings you here of all places?!" shouted Crystal covering the distance that was currently between them.  
  
I suddenly found myself being dragged over in that direction. Crystal really did have a strong grip and it was currently on my wrist. She let go once we were over by Ryoga and she was sure he wasn't going to wander off without seeing us.  
  
Ryoga stared at us for two whole minutes before saying anything. He blinked several times and then spoke, "Crystal...am I crazy or are there two of you?"  
  
Crystal indicated me, her look-a-like, "Ryoga, this is my cousin Rachel. She's visiting from California." She then indicated Ryoga, "Rachel, this is Ryoga, the eternally lost boy I have told you about."  
  
"He's the one that turns into a pig, right?" I asked trying to sound like I hadn't been Crystal for the last month and a half that had seemingly passed me by.  
  
"Right," answered Crystal trying hard not to laugh.  
  
Ryoga didn't look too happy, "You told her?"  
  
"Well I had to give her some sort of idea what kind of people she'd be meeting out here in Nerima," noted Crystal.  
  
"I guess that's true," agreed Ryoga.  
  
I nodded, "She told me all about the Jusenkyo curses."  
  
"Ranma you jerk!" echoed through the air as one Ranma Saotome, in boy form, went flying overhead. He landed directly in the fountain near the center of Nerima District Park and instantly turned into a girl.  
  
I grinned, "That must have been Ranma."  
  
"Should we find out what happened this time?" suggested Crystal.  
  
Ryoga was having trouble with words, but finally answered, "Sure. Then could you kindly direct me to the Tendo Household?"  
  
"Sure thing," answered Crystal and I at the same time.  
  
Ryoga blinked, but decided not to pay it much mind.  
  
I thought ~Maybe it would have been better for us to act like long lost twins or something.~  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
As we arrived near the fountain, someone else was trying to "rescue" their pigtailed goddess. Tatewaki Kuno was embracing the currently female Ranma, who in turn looked like she was going to be sick. Of coarse at this point Ranma was out of the fountain.  
  
*Pow!*  
  
Kuno went flying into a low orbit, away from Nerima district park as Ranma kicked him.  
  
"Having Kuno problems again Ranma?" asked Crystal.  
  
Ryoga added, "What did you say to Akane this time?"  
  
Ranma started fuming, but stopped when she took another look in our direction and focused on me and Crystal. She blinked a few times, did a double take and continued to stare for a full five minutes.  
  
"Akane must have hit me harder than I thought...Crystal I could have sworn there were two of you..." said Ranma finally relocating her voice.  
  
I stepped forward, "We've been getting that a lot lately. The name is Rachel, I'm Crystal's cousin visiting from California. You must be the Ranma I've been hearing about."  
  
Crystal took this time to materialize a tea kettle. She then poured the contents over Ranma's head thus turning Ranma back into a still rather damp boy.  
  
"I am," answered Ranma still looking and sounding extremely confused.  
  
Crystal suggested, "Since we already promised to take Ryoga to the Tendo House, we might be be able to help get Akane to calm down while we're there. I'm sure you don't want to be sent on another trip the fountain again."  
  
"I don't know why she hit me so hard that time...all I did was call her [insert multiple random insults that Ranma normally uses on Akane]..." muttered Ranma.  
  
I shrugged, "I dunno...maybe because you asked for it?"  
  
"Are you sure you two are just cousins...you both sound a lot alike," noted Ranma.  
  
Crystal nodded, "We're just really close cousins."  
  
I was reasonably sure that Ranma could tell it was an act. After all he did spend a lot of time pretending to be Akane's cousin Ranko. If he did know it was an act though, he didn't say anything.  
  
I mentally noted ~Akane and I must have a different definition of the word "jerk" or something because Ranma doesn't seem to fit the description...~  
  
Ranma and Ryoga looked equally confused as the four of us headed off in the direction of the Tendo House. I had a feeling things would be getting much more interesting in Nerima for the next month.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	6. Summertime Christmas Party!

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Character Note: Shiva is a character created and as far as I know, owned by Shiva. That's easy enough to understand right? When he added himself into one of my other fanfictions, he described himself as being 5'7" and weighing 150lbs so no one would get the wrong idea. He lives off of other peoples food and eats A LOT. He is also very good at sneaking up on people and moving so fast that he appears to be a gust of wind. He appeared for the first time when he inserted himself into my fanfiction titled 'Home Away From Home'.  
  
Character Note: Larry is the [evil] announcer from the 'Digimon Adventure of the Future' Yahoo Group.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
The summer holidays seemed to be going by much faster after Crystal and I learned that we only had a month to be in the same world at the same time. We were doing a rather good job of keeping up our cousin act. The only strange thing that was happening in Nerima at this time was the fact that it was July and it was snowing. I felt another familiar storyboard coming to life.  
  
------Summertime Christmas Party!------  
  
I was laying on the couch in the apartment that Crystal and I had been sharing since Washu's little experiment. Crystal was sitting cross-legged on the opposite side of the table looking at me like I had gone insane.  
  
"What is wrong with having a Christmas party?" I asked.  
  
Crystal shouted her answer, "After everything you've told me about those stories you wrote about anime parties?! Duo showing up and everyone getting drunk?! You can't possibly be serious!"  
  
I sweatdropped, "Duo isn't going to show up because we aren't in a storyline that includes Gundam Wing. We aren't going to be attacked by evil digimon because this storyline doesn't include Digimon: Digital Monsters either. This will just be a nice, fun Christmas party with some friends from the area. Does that sound like a bad thing to you?"  
  
Crystal sighed, "No, I guess it sounds kinda fun actually. Besides, with the way you are determined to go through with this, it doesn't seem like I'm going to have much choice in the matter. The only problem is that this apartment isn't the best location for a holiday party."  
  
I grinned, "We'll worry about location later, after we've rounded up the guests."  
  
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?" groaned Crystal, not really speaking to anyone even though I was there.  
  
With that I jumped off of the couch, grabbed Crystal by the wrist and took- off out the door. I slammed the door rather loudly and then proceded down the hallway at an alarmingly high speed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
We arrived at the Tendo Household and Crystal allowed me to go over what she seemed to consider the most insane plan I had ever come up with. At least no one yelled at me after I explained my idea this time. In fact I was actually being listened to.  
  
"You've got to be kidding," commented Nabiki, "A Christmas party in July?"  
  
I nodded, "Well it is snowing and I for one feel the holiday spirit. I figure, why not go with it and have a little fun."  
  
"It sounds like a great idea," said Ranma.  
  
Akane noted, "You only think so because parties equal lots of free food."  
  
"Especially dessert," added Ranma.  
  
If I didn't know better, I would have thought Crystal was ready to drop a phonebook on me. In all honesty I couldn't figure out what was getting to her. At least some people thought that my idea was a good one.  
  
"Well I've more or less got the food thing handled," I said. I turned to Crystal, "Isn't that right?"  
  
Crystal sighed, "Yes. I'd be more than happy to materialize stuff out of thin air for this party of yours, but you still haven't told me where the location is."  
  
"I'm still working on that," I said.  
  
Ranma grinned, "That isn't a problem, we can throw the party in the Dojo."  
  
"And just who made you in charge of that?" asked Akane, giving Ranma a glare that he happened to ignore.  
  
"What's the matter with a little holiday party?" asked Ranma.  
  
Nabiki stepped in, "I think this is a great idea. Why don't you three go round up guests while Crystal goes over the decorations?"  
  
"I'm up for that," I answered. "You think you can handle decorations on your own Crystal?"  
  
Crystal smirked, "I have a pretty good idea what you had in mind. Don't worry about a thing."  
  
"Oh, one more thing," I said. "If you think of it, try materializing a cell phone or something to invite the gang from the Masaki Shrine. I'm sure they'd love to get in on the action."  
  
"Not a problem," answered Crystal. She still looked incredibly nervous and I couldn't understand why.  
  
With that settled, I left with Ranma and Akane to locate more possible guests.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
We hadn't gotten particularly far when something grabbed Ranma and took off in the direction of the Nekohanten [Cat Cafe]. It looked like an ordinary gust of wind, but gusts of wind couldn't selectively grab people. An ordinary gust of wind also wouldn't have been heading for a restraunt dragging Ranma Saotome along for the ride, unless it wanted to use Ranma as payment, and even then it couldn't simply be a gust of wind.  
  
"Shiva what the hell are you doing here?!" I shouted after the retreating gust of wind.  
  
Akane merely blinked, "Shiva?"  
  
"Long story," I muttered before taking chase after the gust of wind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I arrived to see Shiva eating what must have been his 8th bowl of ramen, judging by the number of empty bowls on the table. Ranma was bound and gagged, and on the floor being glomped by Shampoo. He was totally unable to escape the bindings that Shiva had somehow put on him.  
  
"Nice weather we're having today, huh Rachel?" asked Shiva happily finishing off his bowl of ramen. He waved Mousse over, "Can I get another bowl of ramen?"  
  
Mousse was working double-time because Shampoo was too busy glomping the unable-to-escape Ranma. Mousse regarded Shiva, "You've already had eight servings and you aren't even paying for them."  
  
Shiva pointed at Ranma, "There's my payment."  
  
Mousse sighed and went back to the kitchen.  
  
I approached the table that Shiva was sitting at, "What brings you to Nerima, eh Shiva?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing," noted Shiva. "I'm just here because I caught word of a holiday party. I told you before at the Masaki House, when there is more food, I'll be back. I still owe you for punting me into orbit by the way."  
  
I glared at him, "You can't honestly say you didn't have that coming!"  
  
Shiva grinned, "I could actually, but I'll let that slide if you let me come to the party."  
  
"Fine," I sighed. "What harm could it do, aside from the need of extra food? Crystal can handle that."  
  
Ranma was making muffled, incoherent noises because of the gag that was in his mouth. Shiva looked at him, "I'll let you go after we make one more stop at Ucchan's."  
  
Ranma went rather somewhat pale. I could only guess that he was thinking about what would happen when Akane found out about this.  
  
Shiva returned his attention to me, "You and Crystal are both here and you're not staying at the Masaki House anymore, I've certainly missed a lot. I didn't know it was possible for both you and Crystal to be around at the same time."  
  
"Crystal happens to be my cousin and I'm staying at her apartment visiting Nerima," I responded.  
  
Shiva smirked, "Now you and I both know that Washu planned that little act. How long do you think it will actually work?"  
  
"So you did know?" I asked getting a bit nervous suddenly.  
  
"Don't worry about it," said Shiva as Mousse set another bowl of ramen down on the table in front of him. "I won't say anything else about it, and no one was listening so it isn't a problem here."  
  
I sighed. Shiva speedily ate his 9th bowl of ramen. I removed a set of invitations from my pocket and handed them over to Mousse, "You might consider dropping by later with Shampoo."  
  
Shiva finished his bowl of ramen. He suddenly went back into gust of wind mode and grabbed the bound and gagged Ranma away from Shampoo. He then took off in the direction of Ucchan's.  
  
"How can he still be hungry?" asked Mousse.  
  
I sighed, "I haven't a got a clue."  
  
Shampoo finally registered the fact that Ranma was gone, "Where Ranma go?"  
  
"Uh...see ya later!" I shouted and took off after the gust of wind that was Shiva. "Shiva get back here! Ranma is supposed to be helping Akane and I pass out invitations!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
When the rather extended group and I got back to the Dojo, and I finally managed to get myself back to Crystal, I felt like driving my head through the pavement. So far the group that had shown up consisted of myself, Crystal, Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyo and Shiva. The Tenchi gang hadn't shown up yet, but that wasn't too surprising considering how far away they lived by logical means and how they would most likely be arriving.  
  
Thanks to Crystal's hard work, the Dojo now looked very Christmas-ish and there were large tables of food and drink all around the edges. Shiva was already stuffing his face, all the while recieving odd stares from the rest of the assembled guests besides myself and Crystal. It occured to me then, the reason Crystal hadn't liked the idea of a holiday party to begin with was the fact that Shiva would undoubtably show up for the food.  
  
There was a rather bright flash of light and suddenly the forms of Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, Sasami adn Ryo-oh-ki [Cabbit form] made themselves known within the confines of the Dojo. To the surprise of both myself and Crystal, none of the mentioned people were unconscious from having been hit in the head with something heavy. Obviously, Washu had gone about upgrading the transport machine of her's.  
  
I thought to myself ~It's about time she upgraded that damn machine. I was starting to worry about getting brain damage.~  
  
Crystal at this time was trying to explain the whole Shiva story to the rest of the group that didn't already know of his eating habits among other things. I was almost certain that the drinks that weren't of the soda variety or cealed in a bottle would become tainted with alcohol quite quickly. With that in mind I grabbed a bottle of spiced apple cider and decided it was time to join the party.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Within about an hour the party was very in session. There was quiet Christmas music seemingly playing from all directions, mostly because it was being produced by magic so that the source couldn't be tracked and destroyed.  
  
Crystal went about materializing a large assortment of TV sets attached to video game systems, specifically Nintendo 64's with Mortal Kombat Trilogy cartrigages in them. Each system also had two controllers hooked up to them.  
  
"I don't think I want to know what you've got in mind," I commented looking at the very new looking gaming systems. I became tempted to just start playing.  
  
Crystal announced, "It's simple really, we'll have a video game playing competition."  
  
At this same time one of the walls to the Dojo was leveled. Ryoga stepped through the newly created door in the back wall of the Dojo.  
  
"Ryoga there is a door you know," said Ranma.  
  
"A video game competition sounds like fun," said Sasami.  
  
I shrugged, "I guess it is a good idea for those of us who think we're any good at video games." I added to myself mentally ~And my brother isn't in this dimension to beat me.~  
  
Ryoga looked extremely confused for two reasons. The first was that he had been wandering around Japan lost and had somehow managed to get to the Tendo Dojo in time for what looked to be a Christmas Party, but the last he'd heard it was still summer even if for some odd reason it was snowing. The second reason was that he had no clue what the rest of us were talking about when it came to us discussing a video game playing competition.  
  
"It's still summer, right?" asked Ryoga carefully, not wanting to sound as out of it as he currently felt.  
  
Crystal sighed, "It's July. This insanity was her idea!" Crystal took this time to point at me.  
  
I backed away very slowly into the nearest corner. I was currently drinking my third bottle of spiced apple cider. I decided that the best way to get the attention away from me was by saying, "So, how about that competition?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next ten minutes were spent sorting everyone who would be involved in the video game competition.  
  
At system number one Ranma and Ryoga were both confident they could beat each other and were radiating massive amounts of determined battle aura. At system number two Crystal and Shiva were ready to begin the game, but Shiva was trying to provoke Crystal into a real sparring match. At system number three Ukyo and Shampoo were glaring daggers at each other, declaring that who ever won this round between them would get to go on a date with Ranma. I was at system numder four playing against Sasami; we seemed to be the most sane members of the bunch.  
  
Akane, Mousse, Ryoko, Ayeka, Tenchi and Ryo-oh-ki decided to sit out of the competition for their own reasons as well as the fact that it would only work properly with eight contestants.  
  
Ryoko and Ayeka were both working on schemes to get Tenchi, which thus far weren't exactly going well. Tenchi was watching the competition from a conveniently located couch, trying to be as far away from Ayeka and Ryoko as possible without having to leave the party. Ryo-oh-ki was munching happily away at a never-ending pile of carrots on the table. Mousse had decided that with his vision he wouldn't be very good at video games and had settled to watching from the same conveniently located couch as Tenchi. Akane was currently building a bomb shelter in the back of the Dojo.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV begins now]  
  
After having twelve consecutive draw games, Ranma and Ryoga had simply given up on the video game and were really trying to kill each other. They were both disqualified from the competition. Mousse was cheering for Ryoga for obvious reasons involving a certain purple-haired Amazon.  
  
A similar string of events occured involving Ukyo and Shampoo, who also started fighting each other instead of playing the video game. As Rachel would later be informed, yes the gaming systems were rigged.  
  
Crystal and Shiva were having what looked like World War III outside. It consisted of lots of bright flashing lights and massive explosions that could probably level the Dojo if they weren't constantly being countered back and forth.  
  
Rachel wandered away from her gaming system in a daze, yet another bottle of spiced apple cider in her hand. If she had taken the liberty of reading the label more closely she would have noted the alcohol content of the bottle. This all left Sasami as the winner of the competition.  
  
For what seemed like no reason what-so-ever, Ryoko and Ayeka were also putting on a rather large light show outside. This one probably would result in massive amounts of damage to the Tendo Dojo.  
  
Mousse, Tenchi, Sasami and Ryo-oh-ki decided to join Akane in her new bomb shelter. These fights were bound to become quite explosive.  
  
After much extensive fighting and property damage, the parties involved all for one reason or another lost consciousness and landed on the floor/ground in nice quiet heaps that would cause no more damage during the night. The Tenchi gang was teleported home by Washu's new machine and the party was declared over.  
  
Shiva was still where he had fallen unconscious after having what he considered a fun little sparring match with Crystal. He was snoring and let out a contented sigh. "That was a fun party," he said in his sleep.  
  
Everyone else was either still unconscious or cleaning up after the party. In the case of Rachel, she had gone missing altogether.  
  
[Larry POV ends now]  
  
I looked around at all the odd swirling colors around me that were forming a most interesting tunnel and thought ~This must be one of those virtual reality games. I wonder where Sasami disappeared to.~  
  
I walked down the tunnel for a short distance before falling into what appeared to be a pond full of chocolate syrup and whipped cream. I watched as little green men wearing expensive looking suits began tap-dancing along the edge of the pond. I then climbed out of the pond and walked over to a rather tall looking ladder. I climbed up the ladder and onto a diving platform. When I looked down I saw a swimming pool bellow that had certainly not been there previously. I was about to dive when I promptly lost consciousness and collapsed onto the platform.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I awoke the following morning with a terrible headache and no knowledge of how I had managed to get on the roof of the Dojo. I noticed that I was still holding one of those dreadful bottles of spiced apple cider in my hand and decided to read the label out of boredom, and also because I couldn't figure out how I would get off of the roof. I noted the alcohol content mentioned in fine print and simply fell off the roof.  
  
*Thud!*  
  
I hit the ground and stayed there, "Ow..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	7. A Day at the Beach Part 1

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Character Note: Lip is character, that as far as I know belongs to my brother. Lip is 19 years old and is 6' tall, give or take a few inches. He his a Saiya-jin and can reach the fourth level of Super Saiya-jin. There is always a 3" gold dragon sitting on his shoulder. This little dragon possesses great power.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
After the little holiday party event at the Tendo Dojo, Shiva invited himself to stay at the apartment that Crystal and I had been sharing since the experiment performed by Washu. The last few days had been relatively quiet in Nerima, but we all know how long that usually lasts. What is summer without a trip to the beach?  
  
------A Day at the Beach Part 1------  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
It was very early in the morning, around 5:00. Strange noises could be heard by anyone that bothered listening to what was going on in the kitchen.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour later, Crystal Mizuka walked down the hallway to get a glass of water. Since it was summer she could actually sleep in past 8:00 without getting into trouble with school and other such activities. As she walked across the living room of the apartment and towards the kitchen, there was Shiva curled up in a ball on the floor in front of the door.  
  
Crystal shrugged off that image. It was true that Shiva had originally gone to sleep on the couch, but Shiva would be Shiva. Crystal continued into the kitchen and over to the cabinet to acquire a glass. She drank a glass of water and decided that she was feeling a little hungry and so she decided to grab a snack.  
  
She openned up the fridge, looked away and looked back to make sure she was seeing things correctly. It was totally empty. She looked around the cupboards and saw nothing expect for a few containers of various spices, but all the food was gone.  
  
"SHIVA!" shouted an enraged Crystal as she lifted up the fridge and threw it in the general direction of Shiva.  
  
Shiva woke up when his name was shouted and evaded the flying fridge. It proceded through the door and imbedded iteself in the wall across the hallway. Shiva yawned and glanced at Crystal who was still glaring at him.  
  
"What? I got hungry," said Shiva in his defense. He didn't know why he needed to explain that to Crystal of all people, but it seemed like the thing to do.  
  
Crystal growled, "You ate everything!"  
  
"So?" asked Shiva. "Were you planning on eating it?"  
  
Crystal threw down her arms in exasperation and stormmed off down the hallway back to her room. She slammed the door behind her.  
  
Shiva sighed sadly, "Why'd she have to waste a perfectly good fridge?"  
  
He walked off into the hallway to see if he could get it to work from its new position jammed in the wall.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[My POV]  
  
I stretched out my arms, still laying on my futon. I quickly shoved the quilt off of me and crawled off onto the floor before standing up. I stretched again and put the quilt back into position. I walked over to the dresser and grabbed some clean clothes.  
  
It was 7:30 in the morning and I was going to take a shower before Crystal and Shiva decided to turn the apartment into a battlefield like the last few days. I walked down the hallway and into the bathroom, setting the clean set of clothes on the counter beside the sink. I looked around to make certain that Shiva wasn't trying to spy on me again and removed my PJs before getting into the shower.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Shiva had managed to get the fridge in the hallway working again. True there was nothing in it, but a working fridge was a good fridge. The odd thing was that Shiva was sitting on the couch beside reasonably small picnic basket.  
  
Crystal was sitting cross-legged on the floor, on the opposite side of the table. She was facing Shiva.  
  
"So you think we should take a trip to the beach just so you can see lots of cute girls in swimsuits? Is that it?" asked Crystal.  
  
Shiva nodded with a big grin plastered on his face. Crystal felt like smacking him over the head with a phonebook, but was well aware that he would just dodge it like he had the fridge. She was also certain that even he wasn't that sure about how he had gotten the machine working again.  
  
Shiva's grin spread even more, "You know Rachel doesn't like going to the beach, right?"  
  
"I had no idea," answered Crystal. She started to see a side of Shiva's reasoning that she could agree with. The thought ~Payback for that damn party~ drifted to through her mind. Crystal couldn't help smiling about that part of the idea. Crystal felt her will bending towards Shiva's, but for some reason she didn't feel angry about it. "We'll have to take a trip to the market to pack food for the trip though."  
  
Shiva shrugged, "I could pick up some more stuff myself."  
  
"Looks like we'll be doing breakfast at Ucchan's or something," noted Crystal, "since you ate all the food."  
  
Shiva looked guilty, but that faded as one of those puppy-dog looks appeared on his face. The look alone made Crystal feel sick to her stomach. Shiva said, as he had said earlier, "I was hungry."  
  
Crystal sighed, "You're always hungry."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[My POV]  
  
I finished with my shower and put on the clean clothes I had grabbed. I was wearing black Chinese-style pants and a black long-sleeved Chinese- style shirt with white button-things on the front. The area where the sleeves were rolled up was also white. I walked into the living room and noticed that the door was missing.  
  
"What happened to the door?" I asked glancing between Crystal and Shiva who for once weren't at war with each other.  
  
Shiva pointed at Crystal, "That would be her doing."  
  
I shrugged and took a seat on the other side of the couch that Shiva and his picnic basket weren't sitting on. I couldn't figure out why the two of them weren't fighting, but I got the feeling that it somehow involved me.  
  
"We've decided that today is the perfect day to take a trip to the beach," announced Crystal.  
  
Shiva grinned.  
  
I jumped off the couch and shouted, "There ain't no way you two are dragging me off to the beach!"  
  
"Why not?" asked Shiva still grinning. I wanted to kick him right back into orbit.  
  
I thought about that and said the first logical thing that came to mind, "I don't have a swimsuit."  
  
"Not a problem," said Crystal. She was grinning too. I started feeling a bit scared at that point. She snapped her fingers and suddenly I was no longer wearing my Chinese-style clothing, but a navy blue, one-piece swimsuit.  
  
"Drat," I muttered under my breath. Swimsuits did not cover enough flesh for my liking and with people like Shiva and Happosai around that wasn't a good thing. I didn't much like the beach either, mostly because of the sand.  
  
Crystal snapper her fingers again and I was back in my clothes. I sighed in relief, but that was short lived when Crystal said her next words.  
  
"We'll deal with that after we get to the beach though. First we need to get breakfast and go to the market so we'll have snacks at the beach. Shiva sort of ate all the food this morning," announced Crystal.  
  
Shiva sighed, "I told you, I was hungry."  
  
"You're always hungry!" shouted Crystal and I at the same time.  
  
A second later I found that Shiva and Crystal had both grabbed one of my arms and were dragging me out into the hallway. Neither of them seemed to care that the door was currently gone and just about anyone could get into the apartment while we were gone. I sighed and stated under my breath, "This is going to be a long day..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
A trip to Ucchan's [at which time we were served by Konatsu because Ukyo had gone somewhere for the day], a trip to the market and a long walk later, we finally arrived at the beach. I had since agreed to come along peacefully and was walking on my own. Crystal was carrying a large cooler full of snacks and drinks while Shiva was just carrying his small picnic basket.  
  
A look around the stretch of beach we were on proved that today was indeed a perfect day to be at the beach. Everyone from the Tendo and Saotome family was set up on one patch of beach. Actually, it turned out that with them were also Shampoo, Mousse and Ukyo as well as the Kuno siblings. Gosunkugi was there taking photos of all of the girls in swimsuits [which included girl-type Ranma].  
  
I groaned inwardly, but said defiantly, "You may have gotten me to the beach, but you sure as hell ain't getting me into a swimsuit again!"  
  
I sweatdropped as a second later Crystal and Shiva had set up our base camp, very close to the others. Crystal had already snapped her fingers and I was in that damned swimsuit again. Crystal was wearing one of similar make, but it was a dark shade of green rather than blue. Shiva had changed into a pair of black swim trunks and was already headed for the water.  
  
I slumped down onto a towel and looked up into the sky. I was not going to go in the water if I could help it.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Eventually most of the teenage members of the group were by the water, with the exception of Rachel who didn't really want to be at the beach and Mousse who didn't want to turn into a duck. Shampoo was more interested in being close to Ranma than worried about transforming into a cat. Crystal was wielding a large sledge hammer and was playing "whack-a-mole" with Shiva whenever he surfaced near her in the water. Ranma was wearing her trademark swimsuit that had "Boy" printed across the front. Akane was sticking to the shallow water for her own reasons. Nabiki had started a nice betting pool on who would suffer the most during the course of the trip and so far most of the money was on Ranma [who was currently having a good time aside from the attention that Tatewaki Kuno was giving her] and Rachel [who was already suffering].  
  
Most of the group had gathered a short way from the water. The next wave was large and it crashed close to shore, thus rushing up to everyone who was there. Shampoo instantly became a cat and Ranma took off into the water shouting, "Get it away from me!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
A short time later order was restored and it was declared time for lunch. Crystal and Shiva regrouped with Rachel who was still on her towel. She had applied a great deal of sunscreen to her skin and was still that color.  
  
"No wonder you don't get very tan," noted Crystal.  
  
"Shut up," muttered Rachel, "I don't like getting burned."  
  
Shiva grinned, "I'm starving, let's eat."  
  
Crystal asked, "Well we got lots of stuff in the cooler, but all you've got is that small picnic basket. Are you sure you packed enough food?"  
  
Shiva shrugged, "Maybe I should take a look and find out."  
  
With that Shiva walked a few feet away and openned up the picnic basket. He suddenly tossed a large table over his shoulder, which landed neatly in the sand beside our base camp area. Then came a set of matching chairs, which also landed neatly around the table. Then a set of plates landed flawlessly on the table along with matching silverware.  
  
Everyone around the area stopped what they were doing to watch as Shiva brought even more out of the small picnic basket. Suddenly large trays off various types of food appeared in the middle of the table. The finishing touch was a candle on each end of the table. Shiva moved away from the basket and lit the candles with his fire elemental powers.  
  
Ranma walked over to our little area and asked Shiva, "Is there anything else in there?"  
  
Shiva shrugged, "Let's find out."  
  
He jumped into the basket and various odd noises rang out, followed by Shiva jumping out of the basket in a fierce battle with Mr. Turtle. During this time a certain panda was sitting down at the table that Shiva had whipped out and started on the food. Shiva threw Mr. Turtle at the panda and started on his lunch, but was promptly attacked by Mr. Turtle again.  
  
This went on repeatedly throughout the time that everyone spent eating lunch. It really was quite a show.  
  
When Shiva was done eating lunch he stuffed everything he had removed back into the picnic basket. No one bother asking how it was done, they just stared in awe.  
  
[My POV]  
  
After lunch I started considering going into the water. Shiva was no longer in the water which meant it was more or less safe. Shiva was currently on the beach glomping any of the girls he could manage to get close to and there was much screaming going on throughout the Nerima group.  
  
I started towards the water when Crystal provoked me into doing so even further. She changed my swimsuit into a bikini and I sure as hell did not want to be seen close up wearing it. I ran and took off into the water until I was in up to my waist. I glared at Crystal and she just smirked back at me.  
  
The rest of the group that had been in the water earlier decided to come back. This included Shiva.  
  
I shuddered, "Can this day get any worse?"  
  
Something grabbed my ankles. I screamed and ran towards shore, tripping over my own feet and landing in a heap on the sand.  
  
Shiva stood up in the water where I had just run off from. He was laughing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Rachel finally got Crystal to change her back into the one-piece swimsuit and got back into the water. She even started to enjoy herself along with the others. It was actually kind of fun being at the beach.  
  
The group started making a sand castle a short distance from the water, but where the sand was still thoroughly wet. That was when a certain little black piglet crawled out of the water, looking rather water-logged and happened to crawl right to Akane.  
  
"P-chan, what are you doing at the beach?" asked Akane, not actually expecting an answer from her little pet.  
  
Crystal, Ranma, Shiva and Rachel were still half working on the sand castle and half watching Akane and P-chan.  
  
Ranma said, "One of these days I have got to spill Ryoga's secret to her."  
  
Shiva walked over to Akane and swiped P-chan away.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing?!" shouted Akane angrilly.  
  
Shiva removed a container of hot water from somewhere and poured it over P- chan, after setting him on the ground. A second later, a very naked Ryoga was sitting where the little black piglet had been. Shiva said, "Hot water equals Ryoga."  
  
Shiva poured the cold water from another container onto Ryoga who had remained silent this whole time. A second later he was P-chan again. Shiva said, "Cold water equals P-chan. Any questions?"  
  
Akane picked up P-chan, "Yeah, where did Ryoga go?"  
  
*Synchronized Facefault!*  
  
Ranma, Shiva, Crystal and Rachel all fell over from their previous positions. P-chan was relieved.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
A little while later the group was considering packing up and calling it a day. That was when a strange boy walked down the beach with a small gold dragon perched on his shoulder. He approached Shiva and handed him a slip of paper.  
  
Shiva scanned the piece of paper with his eyes, "Lip, huh? You're challenging me?"  
  
Lip nodded, "That's right."  
  
"Fine by me, a sparring match sounds like a fun idea about now," said Shiva. A grin was forming on his face yet again, "You know your handwriting is terrible and so is your spelling for that matter."  
  
Lip shrugged, "That isn't important. Are you ready now, or am I going to have to come back later?"  
  
"What do you think?" answered Shiva still grinning.  
  
[My POV]  
  
My eyes went wide as my brother's original character suddenly showed up at the beach and challenged Shiva to a fight. I decided not to ask, considering there hadn't been much answer as to how Shiva had come to be in this dimension. I just thought to myself ~First Shiva, now Lip. What's next?~  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	8. A Day at the Beach Part 2

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
A little while later the group was considering packing up and calling it a day. That was when a strange boy walked down the beach with a small gold dragon perched on his shoulder. He approached Shiva and handed him a slip of paper.  
  
Shiva scanned the piece of paper with his eyes, "Lip, huh? You're challenging me?"  
  
Lip nodded, "That's right."  
  
"Fine by me, a sparring match sounds like a fun idea about now," said Shiva. A grin was forming on his face yet again, "You know your handwriting is terrible and so is your spelling for that matter."  
  
Lip shrugged, "That isn't important. Are you ready now, or am I going to have to come back later?"  
  
"What do you think?" answered Shiva still grinning.  
  
------A Day at the Beach Part 2------  
  
This new turn of events certainly didn't look good from my perspective. This was going to be a battle between the two people with the biggest egos I know. One of them was the character of my friend from the school Anime Club back in my world and the other was simply the character that my brother made up. As far as I knew, this could go either way. I probably would have felt better if I didn't have to be around to watch it happening.  
  
"You know this guy?" asked Ranma, apparently noticing the way I was acting about Lip's appearence.  
  
I struggled for the right words to answer the question, but said the first thing that entered my mind, "I know him alright." I mentally smacked myself over that one.  
  
"Considering you're Crystal's cousin from California, it's amazing how many people you seem to know from around here," noted Ukyo.  
  
A majority of the teenage group from Ranma 1/2 had stuck around on the beach to watch the fight between Shiva and Lip. The adults had gone, with the exception of Mr. Panda who was still trying to get at what was left of Shiva's lunch.  
  
I mentally smacked myself a second time before looking over to Crystal for some help. She was watching the two combatants stretching on the beach with a look that suggested she was hoping the two of them would kill each other. Well she did want Shiva out of her apartment and if my memory was serving me correctly, my brother had designed Lip to be Crystal's older brother which would have explained things. One thing was for sure, she wouldn't be very helpful at the moment.  
  
"That is a bit odd," agreed Ranma. "How is it that you seem to know so many people around here?"  
  
Again I struggled for a suitable answer for that question. This time I got lucky and actually thought of something useful.  
  
"Well a couple years back I got involved in a student exchange program and I stayed at the Masaki House for about a year," I stated, recalling the fanfiction reference Shiva had made when he had first shown up. In fact it was the same fanfiction he had been referencing from when he mentioned me kicking him into orbit. It also occured to me that in that fanfiction I had used myself as a character instead of using the character of Crystal.  
  
My attention was turned as Mr. Panda dashed by with a large slab of meat in his hands. Behind him, in full chase, was Mr. Turtle. A few seconds later Mr. Panda ran by again in the opposite direction, still being chased by Mr. Turtle. Shiva didn't seem at all concerned that his lunch was involved in this mess which was rather odd.  
  
"So what kind of match is this supposed to be?" asked Shiva when he had finished stretching.  
  
Lip smirked, "This is an all out fight, so I wouldn't try holding back if I were you."  
  
"This should be fun," said Shiva. He had a big grin plastered to his face.  
  
"So, is that Lip guy any good?" asked Ranma.  
  
I sighed, "That all depends on how you define good."  
  
A second later, Shiva and Lip vanished in a blur of motion. They were moving so fast I could barely tell what was going on.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Shiva and Lip were throwing punches and kicks at each other all the while avoiding the other's attacks. They appeared to be evenly matched, although neither one of them was actually taking the fight seriously at this point. Both were moving very quickly, but they were also currently making sure there was a show for the audience to watch.  
  
"You're pretty good," noted Lip, "but you sure as hell aren't taking this seriously."  
  
Shiva grinned, "Well neither are you."  
  
"If this continues, they could be fighting all day," said Ranma.  
  
Crystal nodded, "They haven't even hit each other once. They just keep going around swinging at each other, but nothing happens."  
  
"They seem to be trying to give us a show while they aren't taking the fighting seriously," said Mousse.  
  
The tides turned as Shiva finally landed a kick to Lip's gut, sending him flying back several meters on the sand. Of course, this like everything else so far, was just for show. Sure, Shiva was starting to be more serious about the fight, but both of them were still messing around with each other, trying to throw each other off.  
  
Lip then landed a punch to Shiva's jaw. With an unpleasant crack, Shiva relocated his jaw and went back to fighting Lip. This managed to turn a few stomachs.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The fighting went on slowly for a long time. The sky grew dark and eventually most of the crowd left, with the exception of Rachel and Crystal who fell asleep where they were on the beach rather than going on a late- night wild goose chase for Crystal's apartment. Even Mr. Panda and Mr. Turtle eventually decided to call it a night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The fighting continued with very slow progress through the course of the night. The sun rose in the morning, which led to a two hour breakfast break between the combatants. Rachel and Crystal joined them for breakfast at the beach shop and then returned to their spot on the beach. A short time later the audience returned to watch the progress of the fight. The fight started up again and the progress continued to go slowly.  
  
[My POV]  
  
"This is getting kind of old," I noted boredly.  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Every time one of them gets a hit in the other gets a hit and then they just go back to dodging each other again. The rest of the time we can't even really see what they are doing to each other."  
  
"This would be much more interesting if BOTH of them would take it SERIOUSLY!" shouted Crystal loud enough that both Shiva and Lip heard her and stopped fighting altogether.  
  
Lip asked, "So you really think we're not taking this seriously?"  
  
Shiva agreed, "Are you absolutely sure?"  
  
Crystal pointed at Shiva, "You are barely even trying, and believe me, I know how you fight!" She then pointed at Lip, "You haven't even gone Super Saiya-jin yet!"  
  
I sweatdropped mentally. Apparently Crystal knew as much as I did about the characters of Lip and Shiva, but unlike me she could say something without sounding suspicious.  
  
"Shall we take this a step further?" suggested Shiva grinning like a maniac.  
  
Lip shrugged, "Suit yourself, but this time I ain't going easy on ya."  
  
Lip's hair suddenly flashed gold and his eyes turned green. A golden aura that almost looked like fire surrouned his figure.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
The only thing that could be seen of the two fighers were blurs traveling across the beach and the sky. The action certainly did get faster. Shiva and Lip were constantly skidding on the ground and creating large craters in the sand. There was also the small matter of when one of them would crash into the water and cause a large wave to crash to shore. A rather interesting light show also went on from time to time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[My POV]  
  
It was about a half hour to lunch time when Lip decided to go a step further and switched to Super Saiya-jin level two. At that same time, Shiva dove into his picnic basket. Lip hesitated for a moment and then dove in after him. The sounds of the fight continued from the depths of the basket.  
  
"All in favor of getting rid of those two, say 'aye'," said Crystal.  
  
"Aye," said Crystal, Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, Ukyo, Mousse, Shampoo and myself. The Kuno siblings were still trying to watch the fight, not aware that it had quite suddenly switched location.  
  
Crystal lifted up the picnic basket and kicked it out to sea.  
  
"So who wants lunch?" asked Ukyo.  
  
Shampoo stated, "Ranma have lunch Shampoo."  
  
"Ranma is going to have lunch with me," countered Ukyo.  
  
A second fight broke out between the two of them. This fight involved an odd assortment of kitchen implements flying through the air.  
  
"Well this certainly has been an odd couple of days," said Ryoga.  
  
I sighed, "I just want to get away from the beach..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
[Larry: Why do I have to be the one that goes inside of Shiva's picnic basket to continue YOUR story?]  
  
[Rachel: Simple, you're an announcer. It's your job.]  
  
[Larry: Nowhere in my job description did it mention jumping into picnic baskets that lead into other dimensions.]  
  
[Rachel: Well, you weren't working for me before. You want to keep your job, don't you?]  
  
[Larry: (mutters) Curse you and your damn logic!]  
  
[Rachel: (grins) Now, that's a good boy.]  
  
Meanwhile in the depths of Shiva's picnic basket, the battle between Shiva and Lip continued. Lip had escalated to becoming Super Saiya-jin level three and yet both he and Shiva still seemed to be evenly matched. It was also incredibly dark inside of the basket, not that it stopped them from going all out.  
  
"I'm surprised you've survived this long," noted Lip.  
  
Shiva grinned, "You didn't seriously believe you could win against me, now did you?"  
  
There was a very loud unpleasant sound form somewhere else in the picnic basket. It was a loud high pitched shreak that stung both fighters' ears, considering both of them have heightened senses that are much more sensitive than the ears of your average human.  
  
Once his ears stopped ringing, Lip asked, "What the @#$% was that?!"  
  
"I have no idea," replied Shiva once the ringing had left his ears.  
  
Lip growled, "This is your picnic basket, how can you not know?!"  
  
A shape moved in the distance.  
  
"And while we're at it, why don't you try telling me what that was too."  
  
Shiva thought about that for a few seconds. A light bulb materialized above his head when he finally remembered, "That looked just like the sandwich I made five years ago, only it was a bit moldy and I don't remember it having claws, legs or teeth back then."  
  
"You actually keep track of your food?" asked Lip disgustedly.  
  
Shiva shrugged, "I don't remember eating that sandwich. Besides, from what I hear, you Saiya-jins don't bathe very often so I wouldn't talk if I were you."  
  
The shape in the distance started towards the two fighters and it glowed a sickening shade of green. Lip transformed to Super Saiya-jin level four and took a shot at it. The thing in question screamed its horrible scream again before avoiding the shot and taking off into the darkness of the basket again and again a severe ringing shook the ears of both fighters.  
  
Lip muttered, "I guess we'll have to have a rematch. There have been too many interuptions as it is already, but this is by far the most bizzare."  
  
Shiva shrugged, "Perhaps you can call when you are in the area again."  
  
Lip instructs his dragon, "Freeze time so I can kill that thing."  
  
The dragon performed its task with ease. Shiva ceased moving as Lip took off after the creature in the dark. The creature also wasn't moving. Lip blasted it into small particles that couldn't possibly regenerate themselves and then time resumed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiva and Lip jumped out of the picnic basket only to land in the waters of the vast ocean. Both of them couldn't quite comprehend how this had happened, but apparently it had occured while they had been inside of the basket.  
  
"The tide must have risen and carried us away or something," suggested Lip.  
  
Shiva looked at the side of the basket, "No, that's Crystal's footprint."  
  
"We'll finish our match another time. I've got to get some lunch," stated Lip and then he flew off into the distance. *Ping!*  
  
Shiva started swimming in the direction he assumed would lead him back to shore, dragging his picnic basket along for the ride. Shiva said to himself, "Crystal is going to be sorry she did that."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[My POV]  
  
I was sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on my lap. I was munching on the popcorn and looking out into the hallway at the fridge.  
  
"Shouldn't we do something about what you and Shiva did with the fridge? And what about the door?" I asked Crystal who was in her usual spot sitting cross-legged on the other side of the table.  
  
Crystal frowned, "Why should I be blamed for that?"  
  
"Because you are the one that threw it at Shiva in the first place," I answered.  
  
Crystal shrugged, "That's just a minor detail. This whole mess is entirely his fault."  
  
"I wonder when he'll be back."  
  
"Hopefully he'll go somewhere else so I don't cause anymore damage to my apartment."  
  
"So you do admit to causing the damage to the door and hallway?"  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	9. Crystal's Rage! Nature of the Dragon

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
Crystal, by nature, is a rather even-tempered character. That is to say that Shiva isn't around causing problems for her, such as eating all the food in her apartment and following her around for no apparent reason. There is also the massive amount of property damage that Lip causes when he happens to be in the area to pick a fight with someone, usually one of Crystal's friends. Add enough provoking and enough of the right senario and you can get a very pissed off Crystal Mizuka.  
  
It is also highly recommended that no one ever get Crystal enraged to the extent, unless you don't mind being on the recieving end of a dragon's claws, teeth and tail. When Crystal gets really angry, due to an event from her past, she turns into a very pissed off dragon that is simply bent on destruction until its anger is relieved or it is rendered unconscious by an outside source. It is also noted that when this happens, Crystal cannot control herself and in the most correct of terms becomes extremely dangerous while in dragon form.  
  
------Crystal's Rage! Nature of the Dragon------  
  
It was a normal enough day in Nerima, well about as normal as it gets when you've been stuck in the same anime universe that I had been for the last several weeks. As far as anyone knew, the two combatants from the beach were long since gone and wouldn't be back to cause trouble any time soon. The sky was blue and everything seemed peaceful. Being as this was in an anime universe, that could never last long.  
  
Crystal was making an attempt at fixing the door that she had destroyed when she hurled the refridgerator at Shiva. So far the only thing she had managed to do was make the pieces smaller and harder to locate. When I noticed how frustrated Crystal was getting, I did the smartest thing I could think of and decided to go for a walk in the park before she decided to overload her patience.  
  
After having been walking for a while, I stopped off by the park fountain and decided to lay down on a bench. I was looking up at the sky, mostly to see if I could figure out what any of the clouds looked like. Something that definately was not a cloud, and certainly did not appear to be a bird of any kind, appeared to be flying right towards me. As it got closer I realized that it was a person. This person was wearing black pants and a red shirt. This person was in fact, Ranma Saotome.  
  
I continued watching in fasination, not really comprehending at that time that I might actually be in some sort of danger. Ranma landed in the fountain with a rather large splash, causing some water to land on me. Ranma surfaced in the fountain and had been turned female yet again.  
  
I sat up on the bench, "Who was it this time?"  
  
"I am going to get that Ryoga," muttered Ranma, not exactly paying attention.  
  
I got the message that this somehow involved Ranma getting sent flying through the air by Akane because he had been picking on P-chan again. I started ringing out my shirt, which at this time was simply a navy-blue t- shirt. That was about when a rather large power spike made itself known. I flinched with recognition I didn't realize I previously had.  
  
"What the heck was that?!" shouted Ranma finally returning from her incoherent thoughts of revenge on Ryoga.  
  
I sighed, "I don't think you want to know."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
It had been during this same time that Crystal had given up on fixing the door. She had gone up to the roof level of the apartment complex to clear her head and try to relax. It did not help that Shiva suddenly landed on the roof next to her grinning like the maniac that he at that moment he actually was. Crystal was definately in no mood for this, but that would never be able to stop Shiva.  
  
"What brings you back to Nerima?" asked Crystal trying to contain her building rage.  
  
Shiva's grinned stretched further, "I thought I'd stay at your apartment a while longer. Maybe we could even get a good sparring match in one of these days."  
  
"In your dreams," replied Crystal with a low growl in the back of her voice. At this point she was glaring daggers at Shiva.  
  
Shiva's grin managed to stretch to proportions they could only reach in a world that based its physics on anime. Then in a blur of motion he did something he knew would piss Crystal off, he snuck up behind her and poked her in the ribcage.  
  
Instead of the usual scream of surprise that Crystal usually went into when poked, snuck up on, or in this case both, she let out a growl. It was the sort of growl you might hear from a large angry will animal that is about to attack you in the middle of a nature hike, only it was much more distinct and sounded very reptilian. You could very easily see the flames that had appeared in her eyes.  
  
Suddenly Crystal seemed to vanish into space-time itself as she was replaced by a dragon. This dragon had a humanoid shape and happened to stand on two taloned-legs. Each leg ended in a semi-large three-toed clawed foot with an extra little spike in the back and another spike curving out from the knee. The dragon's arms were very human-like indeed, but ended in hands that had only four fingers, all of which ended in a razor sharp claw. There was also the small matter of the additional spikes that curved out from the dragon's elbows. The dragon had a tail of reasonable length and wings protruding from its shoulder blades. The dragon was also covered in dark blue scales and its eyes shined an emerald green color. This dragon radiated a large amount of energy.  
  
The dragon smacked Shiva back several meters through the air with a forceful swipe of its tail. Shive recovered quickly and flew right back at the dragon with his maniacal grin still plastered on his face.  
  
The dragon spun and faced him abruptly and released a blast of red flame from its mouth at the approaching lunatic. Shiva easily avoided the flames, but as he got closer he was on the recieving end of a dragon's fist to the jaw. This dislocated his jaw, but he fixed it easily with a terrible cracking noise.  
  
Shiva landed a kick to the dragon's torso, which did actually cause the beast the flinch. With Shiva at such close range however, the dragon recovered quickly and spit another blast of red flame at its potential target. The two flying warriors were heading in the general direction of Nerima District Park.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[My POV]  
  
"What do you mean Crystal turns into a dragon when she gets mad?!" asked the still female Ranma.  
  
I sighed, "I mean just that. You push Crystal's buttons and she turns into a pissed off and very violent dragon."  
  
Ranma frowned, "I would have never placed Crystal had having that kind of temper."  
  
"Well she really doesn't anger easily," I admitted.  
  
Ranma nodded, "So there must have been some kind of trigger."  
  
By now the two forms were visible in the sky. One of them was the blue dragon and the other was Shiva.  
  
I pointed at Shiva, "Well there's your trigger. She was already frustrated with him and he must have sent her over the edge somehow."  
  
"Isn't that the food bandit?" asked Ranma.  
  
I sweatdropped and thought to myself ~Even in the world of anime Shiva has his reputation.~ I then replied, "That would be him alright."  
  
At this point Shiva's shirt was severely torn and there were deep slash marks all over his torso and arms. Basically Shiva was a bloody mess, but that wasn't stopping him from enjoying his little 'sparring match'. The dragon's claws had become stained red with his blood and it was still coming for him.  
  
"Uh...she wouldn't kill him, right?" asked Ranma.  
  
I frowned, "Damn...she's really out of control. I've got to stop her!"  
  
I left the park and went to the tallest building I could find nearby. I took off up the fire escape, trying to get as high above the ground as possible.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
"They're both so nuts you'd almost think they were the same person..." commented Ranma after the retreating form of Rachel.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiva noticed the form of Rachel on a nearby rooftop. A thought went through his mind ~Only she is crazy enough to pull this kind of stunt.~ He then noticed something else that was much more dangerous, the dragon had noticed Rachel. He decided to take this time to heal himself so as to make the 'sparring match' last longer.  
  
[My POV]  
  
A wave of panic settled over me as I took in what was happening to me. First I saw the dragon flying right towards me with fire in its eyes. The next thing I saw was it breathing a blast of flame at me and I heard myself shout, "Crystal you need to snap out of this now!" Then the flames surrounded me and I instintively covered my face with my arms.  
  
There was no pain or burning sensation. In fact, I was totally unharmed.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Shiva went into a dive for the dragon and grabbed it by its tail. The dragon began thrashing about madly, trying to strike Shiva with its clawed feet, but it couldn't reach. Shiva began spinning around rapidly in the air, much like how Mario deals with Bowser in Super Mario 64. To make the scene even more like a video game, Shiva released the dragon's tail and it went smashing down into the very rooftop that Rachel was standing on.  
  
[My POV]  
  
I was still shocked from the fact that I had just taken a dragon's flame attack and been totally unharmed. I snapped out of it as the same dragon came crashing down on the rooftop, creating a large hole in it. The dragon pushed itself back to its feet and gave Shiva a glare that only a dragon could give. Then the dragon was flying at Shiva again.  
  
The assault never connected. The next thing I saw was the unconscious form of Crystal crashing down onto the roof again, landing in the exact same hole she had made when she had crashed while she was a dragon.  
  
Flying neatly above where the dragon had been, was Lip with a large steel mallet in his hands. Obviously he had used that to knock out the dragon, thus making it become Crystal again. He spun around and faced Shiva with an annoying smirk on his face.  
  
Shiva actually glared at him, "Hey! We were sparring!" By this time he had managed to fully heal himself, although his clothes were still torn and bloody.  
  
"You call that sparring?" questioned Lip.  
  
I watched as this suddenly turned into a cartoon dustcloud fight in the sky. It was at that same time that Ranma finally decided to show up and view the insanity on the rooftop. Apparently it had taken him so long because he had insisted on finding hot water first.  
  
"I suppose we should wait until they all knock themselves out before we drag them off to see Doctor Tofu," suggested Ranma.  
  
I sighed, "That could take a while.  
  
Just then the unconscious forms of both Shiva and Lip crashed near Crystal. They had been going all-out from the start that time. Ranma and I both sweatdropped.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal was in a hospital type bed at Doctor Tofu's place. I was casually sitting in a chair next to the bed eating a bowl of ice cream. Shiva was in the room next door and was already recovering rapidly. Ranma couldn't seem figure out how the heck I could be eating ice cream at a time like this.  
  
Doctor Tofu came in with the report, "Well Crystal seems to be suffering from extreme exhaustion and I don't think anyone could explain the types of injuries that Shiva and Lip have sustained. Aside from multiple broken bones, bruises and obvious cuts, neither one of them is actually in serious condition."  
  
"I wouldn't even bother trying," I stated.  
  
Ranma added, "Crystal isn't exactly in normal shape either. She did sorta turn into a dragon while she was fighting out there."  
  
I thought about that, "I suppose you're right about that. Either way, she is still my cousin."  
  
"Exactly how did you survive that flame attack that Crystal used on you anyway?" asked Ranma.  
  
I shrugged, "Who knows."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Eventually I was the only one in the room besides Crystal. I was still eating my ice cream quietly. It was hard to believe that I had actually been the one that designed that character trait of Crystal becoming a dragon when she got mad. Now I had experienced exactly how dangerous I had made my character.  
  
There was an odd hum and suddenly Washu was standing in the room.  
  
"I thought I might find you here," stated Washu.  
  
I shrugged, "You must have traced the energy disturbance Crystal caused when she transformed into a dragon."  
  
Washu seemed to consider that, but instead asked, "Are you aware of why Crystal was unable to harm you with her flame?"  
  
"I have no idea," I answered. "Why?"  
  
Washu sighed in frustration. She seemed to depict the emotion I generally felt when I was ignored and thought I'd be better off talking to a cardboard box. Washu continued, "Well the fact of the matter is that since you two are in fact one and the same, you cannot hurt each other."  
  
"Is that all?" I asked.  
  
Washu sighed again, "Yes."  
  
With that she vanished back to her land. It took me a few minutes longer to comprehend the information I had just been given. I was actually starting to believe the fact that Crystal and I could be the same person, but the fact of the matter was that I do not turn into a dragon. I went back to eating my ice cream.  
  
"This information might just come in handy," I said to myself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	10. Anime Crisis Part 1: The Dimensional Tra...

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Author's Note: In this story, the Digimon Tamers universe as well as some of its monsters will be mentioned.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
It is a known fact among faithful anime fanatics that the laws of physics tend to be a lot less strict in the anime universe in comparison to what we call reality. The laws of physics are still technically in place, they just aren't followed all the time. This would explain why people can materialize things out of thin air, jump extremely high into the air and in some cases even defy gravity altogether. The fact of the matter is, if you believe you believe you can do something strongly enough, odds are you can do it or you can do something very similar to it just because of how strongly you believe.  
  
It is also a known fact that if something really big is going to happen in one of my fanfictions, generally involving inter-dimensional travel or time travel, you can blame it all on Washu. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it is only as efficient as the genius that builds it; or in the case of Washu as dangerous as a mad scientist can make it.  
  
------Anime Crisis Part 1: The Dimensional Transport Device!------  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
"Hey Shiva, have you seen Rachel?" asked Crystal having given up on searching under every possible object in the apartment.  
  
Shiva was lounging on the couch with a glass of lemonade in a hand that was dangling limply over the side of the couch. He looked a little too relaxed for Crystal's liking. He let out a loud snore signaling that he was indeed asleep.  
  
Crystal promptly walked over and flipped over the couch, causing Shiva to spill the lemonade on the carpet. Shiva crawled out from under the massive couch and gave Crystal a puzzled look.  
  
"Have you or haven't you seen Rachel?" asked Crystal again in a more serious tone. She put the couch back where it was supposed to be and made sure it was right-side up again before returning her attention to Shiva again.  
  
Shiva blinked.  
  
"Well?" asked Crystal getting even more frustrated. "You don't want a repeat of last episode do you?"  
  
Shiva shrugged, "You know as well as I do that I could care less about you turning into a dragon. Its more fun that way."  
  
Crystal sighed in exasperation, "That does not answer my original in question."  
  
"Rachel's gone?" asked Shiva.  
  
"Yes. Rachel is gone." confirmed Crystal trying with all of her self- control not to strangle Shiva right there and now.  
  
Shiva shrugged again and took to laying down on the couch again. He noticed that something was no longer in his hand, "I hope you don't mind that there is lemonade on the carpet."  
  
Crystal sweatdropped and stomped off down the hallway back to her room. Shiva was about to close his eyes and go back to sleep when Rachel walked through the doorway across from which you could plainly see a working refridgerator lodged in the wall. She was followed by what appeared to be a cute little dragon, well cute because of the fact that it was actually a child [rookie] level digital monster.  
  
This particular digital monster looked almost exactly like a V-mon [Veemon] aside from the fact that it had black scales where V-mon was generally blue. Its scales were also covered in brilliant gold and silver stripe patterns. There was also the fact that it had green eyes and the claws on its toes and fingers were silver in color. Upon further reference one would clearly notice that if digital monsters had a gender difference, this one was clearly female.  
  
Shiva blinked several times trying to register the event that had just taken place and then recognized the digital monster as Rachel's partner digimon from the first fanfiction he himself had appeared in. Apparently Zapmon was back for another appearence in the realm of fanfiction.  
  
"Welcome back Rachel, I see you have Zapmon with you today," Shiva decided to say at last.  
  
[My POV]  
  
I wasn't sure exactly how to respond to Shiva. This little experiment was supposed to be a surprise and I was reasonably sure that he had been asleep when I had left the apartment to get some help from Washu. So much for the surprise.  
  
"Uh...yeah...you could say that..." I stammered trying to get a hold of myself.  
  
Zapmon took a quick look around the room before lunging across it for the telephone.  
  
"What in the--?!" I began to shout, but was cut off as Zapmon began speaking into the receiver after dialing a number.  
  
"I'd like to order two dozen large pizzas with everything on them," stated Zapmon to the guy at the other end. A little more conversation went on and Zapmon hung up.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal wasn't particularly happy when she had to pay for the pizzas that Zapmon had ordered. As it was, the little dragon was sitting on the floor eating them one slice at a time. Shiva was eyeing the pizza for all he was worth and anyone who knew Shiva could tell he was going to make a grab for that pizza any second now.  
  
I was sitting on the couch beside Crystal. We had forced Shiva to relocate himself to a chair that was next to, but not directly next to, the couch.  
  
"You've got some explaining to do," stated Crystal in a monotone voice that chilled my blood. This was so not like the Crystal I was used to dealing with.  
  
Shiva made a dive for one of the pizza boxes that was in a large pile beside Zapmon. The boxes in that particular pile were still full. Zapmon lifted a clawed hand into the air and extened her index finger towards Shiva. There was a brief crackling noise before Zapmon shouted, "Silver Lighting!" and a ball of silver electricity collided with Shiva while he was still in mid-air. This initial attack launched Shiva back into his chair at which point he closely resembled charcoal.  
  
Shiva began healing himself imediately and resorted to staring at the pile of pizza boxes again.  
  
"Uh...what's to explain?" I asked dumbly.  
  
Crystal sighed. Apparently dealing with the combined force of Shiva and I was really starting to bother her.  
  
"I thought you said this was not a digimon story!"  
  
I shrugged, "This is only going to be for a little while. Washu and I were testing the dimensional transport device and we managed to snag one of my toy digivices from the plain of existence that is my reality."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Well the digivice wasn't a toy anymore when I pulled it through the device. Then Zapmon appeared and the dimensional transport device sort of shorted out. So we're sort of stuck like this until Washu fixes the machine."  
  
"That's just great," muttered Crystal.  
  
Shiva made another dive for the pizza boxes. Zapmon lifted her clawed hand again and a ball of red hot flame appeared within it. Zapmon aimed it at Shiva and shouted, "Fireball!" before hurling the ball of fire at him. Shiva dodged the fireball in mid-air and made it to the pile of pizza boxes at which point he openned one and started downing the pizza.  
  
The room suddenly took on the appearence of binary code. I blinked several times before an explosion of light blinded me. Apparently we all got knocked out by the fact that we were suddenly going through a process similar to being downloaded into a computer.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Rachel, Crystal, Shiva and Zapmon all awoke in the middle of the digital forest. To their surprise Lip and his little golden dragon were there too.  
  
"Where the @#$% are we?!" shouted Lip at the three other humanoid lifeforms, ignoring the dragon.  
  
"Eh..." was all that came out of Crystal. She was still in too much shock to say anything else that sounded coherent.  
  
Rachel was the one who actually made sense, "Well obviously we're in the digital world."  
  
Crystal recalled what had happened when Rachel had been in her body during her time in the anime universe, before Washu had used that separation device on them. She remembered everything that happened during that time, but it was more like a dream because it had actually been happening to Rachel. Crystal did remember the part about the digital world after the whole Gundam pilots incident with Ryoga.  
  
"Wow! It's the human from before and she brought friends!" said an excite Culumon [Calumon] as he floated over to the group.  
  
Crystal sweatdropped, "Well at least I've been here before."  
  
"Hiya Culumon," said Zapmon waving a clawed hand in the direction of the adorable little digimon.  
  
Shiva grinned, "If we're in the digital world does that mean I get to spar with Raptremon?"  
  
"Not if I have anything to say on the matter," Rachel stated firmly.  
  
If there had been any chance of further clearing up what was going on, it was short lived. A few seconds later a large shadow formed over the group in the forest. It was the shadow of a Black Growmon [Black Growlmon].  
  
Shiva looked up, "I think that means trouble."  
  
"No sweat," stated Lip also looking at the combination dragon/dinosaur digimon that was glaring daggers at the assembled group.  
  
Shiva and Lip both lunged at the digimon and were both knocked into a different tree by an irritated swing of Black Growmon's tail. Crystal sweatdropped at the both of them, but this was also short lived. A dark glow erupted around Black Growmon and a second later Black Megalo Growmon [Black War Growlmon] was standing in his place.  
  
"I guess he was stronger than we thought," said Shiva as he slid down the truck of the tree into an odd heap on the ground.  
  
Lip did a similar thing, but he didn't say anything.  
  
[My POV]  
  
Seeing that things were suddenly going very badly for the group, I looked to Zapmon. Testing a theory certainly was better than being eaten by a dragon. I sighed and removed what had once been a plastic D3 from my pocket and pointed it at Zapmon.  
  
"It's a good thing you ate all that pizza. Now you can evolve," I said indicating Black Megalo Growmon with the index finger of my free hand.  
  
The two cannons on Black Megalo Growmon's chest began to swirl with negative energy. He was charging up his cannons for a finishing blow. Zapmon nodded in agreement with what I had in mind and began to glow along with the digivice in my hand. My plan was actually working.  
  
"Zapmon Shinka [Digivolve To]!" shouted the little dragon as it began to expand in size. The light of evolution surrounded her for a few seconds and when the light faded a new, much larger digimon was standing in her place.  
  
This digimon looked almost exactly like XV-mon [Ex Veemon] aside form the fact that it was covered in black scales where XV-mon was generally blue. Another factor was that those scales were covered in the same gold and silver stripe pattern that had been on Zapmon. There was also the matter of the green eyes and silver claws. The other factor was that its wings and the X symbol on its chest were gold in color.  
  
The new digimon shouted, "Zapdramon!"  
  
Zapdramon held a clawed hand above her head and formed a large sphere of blue fire surrounded by silver electricity and prepared to hurl it at Black Megalo Growmon.  
  
"This is Zapdramon, the adult [champion] form of Zapmon. That 'Dragon Storm' attack is definately going to teach Black Megalo Growmon a lesson he'll never forget," I stated making myself sound somewhat like a robot.  
  
"Dragon Storm!" shouted Zapdramon letting the sphere of flame and electricity fly at Black Megalo Growmon. The attack connected with one of the cannons totally overloading the energy input and output ratios. This lead to a massive explosion.  
  
When the smoke cleared, Black Megalo Growmon was gone and Zapdramon had de- evolved back into Zapmon.  
  
Culumon started doing an odd little dance in the air, "We're saved! We've saved!"  
  
Another flash of light occured around us. I lost consciousness before I even went through what felt like the process of being downloaded.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
"I am never going to get used to that," muttered Crystal as she woke up.  
  
Lip groaned before sitting up, "Now where are we?"  
  
"You're starting to sound a lot like Ryoga," noted Shiva.  
  
Rachel sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Has anyone seen Zapmon?"  
  
"No, I think she was probably left back in the digital world because she belongs there," stated Crystal irritably.  
  
"That doesn't explain why we are still in the forest," noted Shiva.  
  
I surveyed the area, "Well this place certainly isn't a digital forest."  
  
[My POV]  
  
"That's a relief," muttered Crystal.  
  
"At least we got out of that alright," I said cheerfully.  
  
Crystal glared at me, "Remind me to kill you and Washu when we get back to our original world. This is your fault to begin with!"  
  
"Lucky for me you can't kill me," I stated with a smirk on my face.  
  
Crystal recalled the explanation I had given her at the hospital about that and instantly lost consciousness again.  
  
"Was it something I said?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	11. Anime Crisis Part 2: Dimension Hopping

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Character Note: In real life, Fluffy is my plushie Charmander. Therefore, it is only logical that Fluffy remain a Charmander. This particular Charmander is only about 1' tall rather than the standard 2' from the gameboy game. If you are anyone other than this Pokemon's trainer, I would suggest you keep your fingers away from his mouth if you value your fingers. He is more tolerant of girls than boys. You have been warned.  
  
Character Note2: All of Rachel's Pokemon are the result of what I happen to have in the Red Version of the gameboy game.  
  
Author's Note: In this story, the manga Pokemon universe as well as some of its characters and monsters will be mentioned.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
"I am never going to get used to that," muttered Crystal as she woke up.  
  
Lip groaned before sitting up, "Now where are we?"  
  
"You're starting to sound a lot like Ryoga," noted Shiva.  
  
Rachel sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Has anyone seen Zapmon?"  
  
"No, I think she was probably left back in the digital world because she belongs there," stated Crystal irritably.  
  
"That doesn't explain why we are still in the forest," noted Shiva.  
  
I surveyed the area, "Well this place certainly isn't a digital forest."  
  
------Anime Crisis Part 2: Dimension Hopping------  
  
[My POV]  
  
I reached into my pocket to check on my digivice. From the looks of it, the thing had become a v-pet again. On the screen was what appeared to be a V-mon, but it was shaded so that I could tell it was actually Zapmon. Well, that solved one mystery.  
  
As I went to put the digivice back in my pocket I came across something else that had definately not been there before. I put the digivice away and removed the new object. A sweatdrop trickled down the side of my face as I surveyed the object and took another good look around. One thought went through my head ~Why is everything so angular?~  
  
The object from my pocket was a pokedex. Upon further inspection I realised that aside from the black jeans and tank-top I was wearing, I had a belt with six pokeballs clipped to it. I could feel another sweatdrop forming.  
  
"Do any of you lunatics know where we are?!" demanded Lip.  
  
I sighed, "It appears we have been sucked into the world of Pokemon."  
  
"More monsters. Just what we needed," muttered Lip.  
  
Shiva asked, "Can we have some lunch?"  
  
"Do you see a restaurant around here Shiva?" replied Crystal.  
  
Shiva whined, "But I'm hungry."  
  
"YOU'RE ALWAYS HUNGRY!" shouted Crystal, Lip and I at the same time.  
  
"So, I'm allowed to be hungry, aren't I?" said Shiva.  
  
Crystal glared at me, "This is your fault you know."  
  
I decided to ignore her glare and reached for one of the pokeballs that was on my belt. I noticed that the button on it was labled 'Fluffy' and blinked. That was the name of the plushie Charmander I brought to the school Anime Club from time to time. I shrugged and pushed the button anyway. The pokeball increased in size. I pushed the button again and threw the ball towards the ground in front of me.  
  
The ball openned and a red beam of light shot out, taking the form of a small Charmander. The pokeball bounced back into my hand and I re-clipped it to my belt.  
  
I blinked as flames seemed to form in Fluffy's eyes as he caught site of Shiva and Lip. It occured to me that the real Shiva and my brother had both at some point or another tried to bite and/or swallow the plushie version of Fluffy. Apparently the real one was holding a grudge against the characters that those two happened to make up.  
  
Fluffy openned his mouth and a burst of flame shot at Lip, "Charrrrrrrr!"  
  
Lip started running around in circles trying to put the fire on his clothing out. Crystal broke down laughing. Fluffy switched his attention to Shiva. Somehow the little pocket monster was aware of Shiva's immunity to the various elementals. Fluffy charged at Shiva and--  
  
*CHOMP!*  
  
"Get this thing off of me!" explained Shiva as Fluffy latched onto Shiva's arm with his teeth.  
  
Crystal started laughing harder. Lip had recovered after Fluffy had demonstrated his 'Flamethrower' attack. Lip approached Shiva and made an attempt to pry Fluffy off of Shiva's arm. Fluffy responded by striking the front of Lip's shirt with his tail flame. Lip went back to circling around trying to put the fire out.  
  
"Dammit Rachel, recall this thing!" shouted Shiva indicating Fluffy. He shook his arm violently and the thing still wouldn't let go.  
  
Crystal was laughing so hard that tears were streaming from her eyes. I reluctantly removed the pokeball from my belt and recalled Fluffy.  
  
"Isn't Fluffy cute?" I asked.  
  
Lip glared at me, as did Shiva. Lip said, "You call that thing cute?!"  
  
"I guess he doesn't like you two," I stated firmly.  
  
Crystal was still rolling with laughter. Shiva glared over in her direction, "You aren't helping things you know."  
  
Crystal stopped and got to her feet, "But you've got to admit. That was really funny."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
A short time later it was dark. The group had set up camp in a clearing in the forest, and with the help of Fluffy, a fire had been started. Lip and Shiva weren't in favor of the idea, but Rachel had insisted on letting out all of the Pokemon that were with her for one reason or another. The other five Pokemon, besides Fluffy, were a Pikachu name Sparky, [Since I go with manga references when it comes to Pokemon, Richie's Pikachu is named Chuchino!] a Farfetch'd named Dux, a Growlithe named Okibi, a Haunter named Shadow and a Psyduck named Speed-Star. Rachel's other Pokemon were not constantly on the verge of striking down Shiva.  
  
Fluffy was still glaring daggers at Lip and Shiva, but had calmed down considerably and was no longer bent on killing the two of them.  
  
[My POV]  
  
"Fluffy really is a cute Charmander," stated Crystal.  
  
"Isn't he?" I replied.  
  
Shiva and Lip both looked disgusted by the way we were acting. Apparently they failed to realize that Crystal and I didn't care. It was also nice to see that Crystal had apparently forgiven me for this whole incident.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
The hour grew late. Eventually all of them were asleep under the stars, after having let their fire burn out. It was a peaceful night, and in the world of Anime, there is no telling just how long that will last.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
And so it was, that a few hours later into the night, we were awoken by a pair of voices that Rachel happened to be all-too-familiar with.  
  
[My POV]  
  
"Prepare for trouble," said the first voice.  
  
"And make it double," said the second voice.  
  
Shiva raised an eyebrow as two figures jumped out of a nearby tree in some silly poses. Lip gave them a glare that promised great pain if they didn't just shut up and leave now. Crystal was laughing again.  
  
"To protect the world from devastation," continued the first voice.  
  
"To unite all peoples within our nation," continued the second voice.  
  
I sweatdropped.  
  
"Jessie!"  
  
"James!"  
  
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light."  
  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."  
  
Meowth made his presence known as he jumped out of the same tree that his comrades had appeared from.  
  
"Meowth! That's right!"  
  
Crystal, Shiva, Lip and I traded more sweatdrops. I was aware that 'my' Pokemon were still out and all six of them were close-by.  
  
Meowth continued, "You're not our usual targets, but we couldn't pass up the chance for some easy Pokemon, especially with how rare some of those are."  
  
I was aware that as it was, he could have been refering to any of my Pokemon.  
  
"Well I can see one fatal mistake here," noted Crystal. "You woke us up with that stupid motto of yours."  
  
"The Team Rocket motto is not stupid," stated James.  
  
Shiva had to agree with Crystal, even if he was still a little made about before, "Actually, if you three had been quiet you might have won. However, since we're awake you don't stand a chance."  
  
I took that as my cue to do something, "Fluffy, Okibi, Sparky, Shadow, team Flamethrower, Thunderbolt combo!"  
  
Fluffy and Okibi unleashed their 'Flamethrower' attacks on Team Rocket while Sparky and Shadow teamed up and combined their 'Thunderbolt' attacks on Team Rocket. The combined blasts sent Team Rocket flying into the horizon.  
  
*PING!*  
  
"Looks like Team Rockets blasting off again!"  
  
Crystal, Lip, Shiva and I all exchanged a few more sweatdrops. I decided to recall all six of 'my' Pokemon. The world around us became sort of blurry and then it just became to blinding to look at.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
Rachel, Crystal, Shiva and Lip all lost consciousness once again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The group awoke to find themselves in what appeared to be another forest. It was light out, which meant that they must have been out for at least a little while.  
  
"Where the @#$% are we?!" shouted Lip yet again.  
  
Crystal sweatdropped, "You really are starting to sound like Ryoga."  
  
"You shouldn't quit your day job though," concluded Shiva.  
  
[My POV]  
  
I reached into my pocket and found my digivice. It was real again, and Zapmon was no longer within it. I took a quick look around.  
  
"Has anyone seen Zapmon?"  
  
"I thought she was gone for good," noted Shiva.  
  
I shook my head, "No, she was just turned into a v-pet while we were in a world that she couldn't format her data in."  
  
Zapmon strolled out from behind a bush carrying several dozen boxes of pizza on one hand. Shiva brightened at the sight of food. Zapmon saw this and tossed him one of the boxes.  
  
"You guys sure were out of it for a while," noted Zapmon. "I figured I might as well get you something to eat."  
  
I sweatdropped, "Thanks Zapmon."  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
While the group tried to figure out where they were this time, they started having a large breakfast of pizza. All four humanoid lifeforms mentally agreed not to ask where or how Zapmon had aquired so much pizza.  
  
"Mmm, pizza pie," stated Shiva dreamily.  
  
Rachel, Crystal and Lip all sweatdropped.  
  
"What? I like pie," said Shiva sounding a little hurt.  
  
"Uh...Shiva?" began Rachel.  
  
Shiva blinked, "What?"  
  
"When Fluffy bit you, why didn't you use a water elemental?" asked Rachel.  
  
"That's a good question," stated Shiva. "I blame the author." He glared at Rachel meaningfully.  
  
Rachel sweatdropped, "Don't blame me. I haven't writen the story yet."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	12. Heading Home

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
After the Pokemon incident Crystal, Shiva, Lip, Zapmon and I found ourselves landing in just about every Anime series I had ever heard of, with a few exceptions that made up the world that we had originally come from. In other words, we still hadn't figured out how to get back to the original world and aside from Zapmon, the others were all blaming me. This, like everything else that seemed to happen to us was basically normal.  
  
When it became apparent that we might not get back at all, I started to worry about getting home. The tension between us was rising and things weren't looking good...  
  
------Heading Home------  
  
None of us were sure how, but somehow we ended up back in Washu's lab. Actually, a hole openned up beneath us and we fell into Washu's lab. Shiva, Lip and Crystal cheered. Zapmon and I were sitting on the floor, too exhausted from listening to the other three argue to say anything.  
  
"Welcome back," said Washu.  
  
Crystal asked, "How exactly did we get back?"  
  
"Once I locked onto your energy signatures in the time-space teleporter, it was easy," replied Washu.  
  
No one asked for further details.  
  
Shiva said, "I'm hungry."  
  
Crystal and I shouted, "YOU'RE ALWAYS HUNGRY!"  
  
Shiva marched out of the lab intent upon going into the kitchen to nag Sasami for something to eat. Lip followed him, his stomach was growling. No one even tried to stop them.  
  
"Well, you three are the ones I really needed to talk to anyway," said Washu.  
  
I asked, "How long were we gone anyway?"  
  
"Well, let's just say you've basically used up your one-month stay in the Anime Universe," replied Washu.  
  
Crystal raised an eyebrow, "We were jumping around between worlds THAT long?!"  
  
"Yes," stated Washu. "And I believe Rachel has a choice to make."  
  
"That's an easy one," I said.  
  
It had been a fun adventure, but I couldn't just stay in the Anime Universe forever. I belonged in the reality I came from. When I realized that I was worried about when I would get home, I realized that I belonged there. Crystal would be the one to stay in the Anime Universe, that was basically what I had created her for, when I made her into my character. Zapmon and my digivice would have to return to being a simple plastic D3 digivice toy on my bookcase.  
  
"I'm going home."  
  
Crystal blinked, "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah, it's be fun and all, but I belong in my own world," I replied lightly. "Besides, someone's got to write this story."  
  
"While you've been gone, I sort of sent a robot to take your place for the month," said Washu. "And it seems that your little story has become quite the fanfiction series."  
  
"WHAT?!" I shouted.  
  
"Well, that's enough talk, back to reality you go," said Washu clicking a button a remote control she had been concealing.  
  
I was suddenly surrounded by a flash of light.  
  
[Larry POV]  
  
And so, Rachel and Zapmon disappeared from the Anime Universe. Crystal watched them go and deciding there was nothing better to do, she also left the lab.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
[My POV]  
  
I found myself standing in the middle of my room holding my plastic D3 in my hand. I walked over to the bookcase and set it down before heading out of my room to see what had gone on while I had been away. Nothing had really changed and Washu had somehow managed to upload information on everything that had happened into my head. I had been gone for a month and a half. It was still summer vacation and as always, my computer was on. My dad was at work and my brother had gone off to a friend's house for the day. I had the house to myself.  
  
After a brief tour of my house, I slipped back into my room to check out my usual spots on the internet. That was when the phone rang.  
  
I ran out of the room and picked up the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
A familiar voice came over the phone, "How's that new fanfiction coming Rachel?"  
  
I had already managed to forget about Washu telling me that I had somehow been writing the story of what was going on to me as a fanfiction series. She hadn't exactly told me the title I had chosen to use.  
  
"Shiva? What fanfiction series?" I asked over the phone.  
  
Shiva replied, "The Dragon Tamer obviously. It seems so realistic."  
  
"You'd be surprised," I replied. "I suppose it's kind of over."  
  
"Nooooo!" came Shiva's response over the phone.  
  
I shrugged, "Then again, I can probably come up with some pretty crazy new episodes."  
  
"Yay!" was Shiva's reply.  
  
I sighed, "Yes, you will still be in the story."  
  
"YAY!" came Shiva's reply again.  
  
"This is going to be a long vacation," I said.  
  
Eventually Shiva and I finished discussing possible plot twists to add to the story and even more chaotic things to get the characters involved in. Then I was off the phone and headed back to my computer.  
  
~Well Crystal, I hope you're ready for the real adventure to start.~ I thought mostly to myself.  
  
Crystal's thoughts came to me as a reply ~Why do I have a bad feeling about this?~  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	13. Into the Past

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
Author's Note: In this episode Crystal will meet up with several of the characters from Inu-Yasha as well as ending up going on a little trip into the past. I should note that by the second season this will basically become part of the regular series.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
It had been a week since Rachel [myself] had returned to her own world after causing who knows how much chaos in the Anime Universe. As her primary character, Crystal Mizuka, I thought that the insanity was over for good. It was only the beginning, because now that Rachel is back in her own world, she has every intention of continuing this story, even if she isn't going to be a part of it.  
  
Of course, I must admit that this adventure idea is a lot more interesting than my life returning to the way it was before Rachel showed up. I just hope this doesn't cause too much trouble in the future, or I might be held responsible for it.  
  
------Into the Past------  
  
During the week that Rachel had been gone, Crystal had gone off on a little training trip in the mountains. She wanted to get away from it all, or more specifically she wanted to get away from the creature that was invading her refridgerator [even if it was still lodged in the hallway.] She wanted to get away from Shiva, who had since decided to invite himself to stay in HER apartment. Crystal growled quietly as it occured to her that it had gotten dark.  
  
She hadn't been on a regular day and night schedule during the week, but she assumed that maybe she should find a safe place to spend the night. That was when she saw the strange building in the distance, nevermind the fact that there were probably lights on other buildings around it [that for my purposes she didn't notice.] She found that the door was open, and being who she was slipped inside. This seemed like a nice safe place, if you ignored the fact that there was an overly suspicious well in the middle of the room. Crystal's curiousity got the better of her and she walked over to it.  
  
A strong gust of wind blew and Crystal was sent sprawling downward.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal jumped out of the well and found herself in a forest. She mentally shouted at Rachel ~Enough with you and your damn forests already!~  
  
Crystal was too tired to protest any further and jumped up into the nearest tree. She fell asleep relatively quickly.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiva marched into the living room of the VERY empty apartment. Crystal was gone and it was terribly boring, but there was always the refridgerator. Shiva yawned boredly and decided to see who else he could bother in Nerima.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
*Crash!*  
  
Crystal openned her eyes a crack, and forgetting she was up in a tree rolled to the side like she was getting off of her futon. She fell to the ground from where she had been in the tree.  
  
*Thud!*  
  
"What just happened?" she asked no one in particular.  
  
"Roar!" came a voice that seemed to be coming towards her.  
  
"If that's Pantyhose Taro, I swear I am not in the mood for this!" shouted Crystal irritatedly.  
  
Crystal had managed to wake up enough to orient herself with her surroundings. She was reasonably sure this whole thing was Rachel's doing, even though she was off in an other world, she was still the annoying fanfiction author that she herself was based on. She would have sent more mental complaints to Rachel, if she hadn't seen the creature that was making that loud roaring sound.  
  
The creature in question looked like something like a cross between a humanoid dragon and a grizzly bear. It was big, furry and very scary looking. It was also carry a very large spiked club. It roared again and Crystal thought that maybe she should run away.  
  
She took off running wildly. She didn't know where she was going, but she wanted to get far away from the monster that was chasing her.  
  
"Let me guess, this is the Digital World and that is one of those evil Digimon," muttered Crystal as she turned around.  
  
Running wasn't working, so it seemed she would have to stand her ground and fight after all. She drew the sword that was strapped over her shoulder [now refered to as the Dragon Blade] and took up and defensive stance.  
  
"At least I can get some decent training out of this," said Crystal.  
  
The monste swung its giant spiked club at her head, but she was gone before it could connect. She was up on the monster's shoulder and she slashed the sword through the arm that was holding the club, causing it to fall limply to the ground while she herself jumped into a nearby tree.  
  
"Er--Digimon shatter into data, they don't turn into a bloody mess," muttered Crystal. "That thing is just a monster."  
  
She thought better of the situation, "I was worried about THAT?!"  
  
The monster took a step towards her. Crystal sheathed her sword and smirked as she struck the ground with a shout of, "Bakusai Tenketsu!" causing the ground to shatter out from beneath the massive monster. Then she jumped up into the air above the canyon that the monster had fallen into and formed a sphere of silver energy between her hands. She then shouted, "Mystic Light!" sending the sphere down into the canyon, dissolving what was left of the monster into dust.  
  
She landed lightly on her feet and decided to find civilization. She was reasonably certain she wouldn't find Nerima, or Shiva for that matter.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiva was at Ucchan's Okonomiyaki eating what appeared to be his 12th helping. A vein was visible on Ukyo's forehead, but Shiva ignored it and continued to eat.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What do you mean you were on the trail of a demon?" asked Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha replied, "I could smell the demon and I followed the source. When I found it, there was only an arm left near a very unnatural looking canyon."  
  
"Who could have done that?" asked Shippo.  
  
Inuyasha said, "Well there was another scent in the air, a really strange one that seemed somewhat human, but the rest of it was just strange."  
  
"We'll probably find out who is sooner or later," said Kagome.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"All there is around here is forest, forest and more forest! Rachel might like these places, but I'm getting hungry and I want breakfast!" shouted a thoroughly frustrated Crystal on the verge of becoming a dragon and breaking the barrier between anime and reality.  
  
The sudden appearence of what apeared to be a blue phoenix stopped her from going through the violent thoughts she was thinking about a certain fanfiction author.  
  
"Dammit, not again!" Crystal broke into a run as a wave of fire came down at her. "Ahh!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiva was now sitting at the Neko-Hanten with his third bowl of ramen. So far, no one was going to kick him out yet.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Inuyasha group was on the move. Kagome and Shippo were with Inuyasha while Sango and Miroku were with Kirara. They were in pursuit of a rather familiar looking blue phoenix.  
  
"Are you sure it's the same scent?" asked Kagome.  
  
"Yes," said Inuyasha for the third time. "Whatever it is, it seems to be ahead of that overgrown bird."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal was really starting to get sick of running. She didn't like the idea of getting burned by that fire, but on the other hand she didn't really think she could keep up her current pace very much longer. Either way, she would eventually have to turn around and face that thing head on. All she wanted was something to eat for breakfast, something that didn't consist of berries or questionable fruit that she had seen Rachel and Zapmon eating when they were traveling between worlds like it was a holiday.  
  
This whole thing was making Crystal very frustrated. Her pace began to slow as the hunger started to get to her. A whisp of flame stung her back and a low growl escaped her throat before the change came into effect.  
  
A very pissed off looking, humanoid blue dragon was glaring at the annoying blue phoenix that was keeping her from breakfast.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"The scent just changed," stated Inuyasha.  
  
Shippo spotted something, "That's a really small dragon."  
  
There was an odd silence, although the phoenix creature was making terrible squawking noises, as the group stared at the odd scene before them.  
  
"Roar!" shrieked the dragon in an almost human manor. The dragon extended the blades on each of its elbows and smashed right through the phoenix creature, ripping it appart completely.  
  
Once that was settled, the dragon returned to its human form. Crystal collapsed to the ground, the back of her black tank-top was singed, but she wasn't actually injured. She was simply unconscious.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Alright, is she a human or a dragon?" asked Shippo.  
  
Inuyasha said, "She's more of a human than a dragon, but whatever else she is is mixed up with that dragon scent."  
  
"When I'm finished with that overgrown chicken I am going to roast it and bring it back to Nerima for Shiva!" exclaimed Crystal in a semi-conscious state.  
  
Sango said, "That's going to be rather hard, considering there isn't anything left."  
  
Crystal blinked and sat up rubbing her head, "Ack...I transformed into a dragon again!"  
  
"She's seems alright," said Miroku.  
  
"Considering the clothes, she must not be from this time, but how did she get here?" said Sango.  
  
Crystal rose to her feet, "I think I know exactly how that happened. A certain person who likes to control my life has a tendency to lead me to strange places I've never been to before, causes me to fall into some magic pit that leaves me in a forest where I can't even find civilization and then has me attacked by monsters!"  
  
"Demons actually," said Miroku.  
  
"Alright, demons then," said Crystal. "I am going to rip that lunatic appart."  
  
Shippo said, "I don't think she means Naraku."  
  
Miroku clasped her hands, "Putting all of that aside, will you bare my child?"  
  
*Crack!*  
  
Crystal whacked Miroku over the head with what could only be the Sledge Hammer of Doom. Then the hammer was gone and Crystal was simply glaring at the unconscious monk.  
  
"I'm out of here," said Crystal.  
  
She started off into the distance.  
  
"She's good," said Shippo.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
A short time later, Crystal found herself surrounded by a familiar light. This could only mean that Washu was transporting her to the lab. For once, she didn't mind at all.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
When she arrived, Crystal saw that Shiva and Lip were already there. She was about to greet them when a powerful weight crashed down on her back. Her sword felt like it weighed a ton. She quickly unstrapped it and let it drop to the floor as she got to her feet.  
  
"What the heck is going on?!" demanded Crystal.  
  
Washu replied, "It seems that some unknown source is draining the magic from the planet Earth. You three will need to work together to deal with it."  
  
"WHAT?!" shouted Crystal, Shiva and Lip at the same time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


	14. The Dragon's Curse

Disclaimer: All anime characters portrayed in this series are owned by their respective creators, as are any original characters that appear. This is a work of fanfiction and is not to be taken literally.  
  
------Introduction------  
  
When she arrived, Crystal saw that Shiva and Lip were already there. She was about to greet them when a powerful weight crashed down on her back. Her sword felt like it weighed a ton. She quickly unstrapped it and let it drop to the floor as she got to her feet.  
  
"What the heck is going on?!" demanded Crystal.  
  
Washu replied, "It seems that some unknown source is draining the magic from the planet Earth. You three will need to work together to deal with it."  
  
"WHAT?!" shouted Crystal, Shiva and Lip at the same time.  
  
------The Dragon's Curse------  
  
"I admit, I do question Rachel's idea that you three can handle this problem," said Washu.  
  
Lip glared at her, "I could handle it without these two lunatics."  
  
"I don't care right now, but I am hungry," said Crystal.  
  
Shiva facevaulted.  
  
"Fine then," said Washu. "You three can eat lunch first and then I'll teleport you to the planet that is holding the source of the magic draining monster."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Some odd hours later [after lunch], the trio of warriors found themselves teleported onto a strange planet. It was covered in a thick layer of forests, complete with an insane amount of green-ness. To top this all off, it was extremely dark and the sky was an unnerving shade of red. There wasn't a sign of life anywhere and yet this was exactly where the source of the magic sucking monster was supposed to be.  
  
"So, what exactly is the enemy anyway?" asked Shiva.  
  
Crystal shuddered, recognizing her surroundings.  
  
Lip asked, "Crystal, what's wrong with you now?"  
  
"Nothing," replied Crystal.  
  
For no readily apparent reason, Crystal sudden changed into her dragon form and then switched back to her human form. She landed on the ground, twitching slightly.  
  
"That was weird," said Crystal standing up.  
  
Quite suddenly the source of the magic sucking was looming in front of the trio of warriors. The monster in question was a large skellital dragon, in fact it simply appeared to be a living dragon skelleton with glowing red eyes.  
  
"Eep!" exclaimed Crystal, hiding behind a nearby tree. "The Skull-Dragon!"  
  
"Skull-Dragon?" questioned Lip. He thought the creature looked absolutely pitiful.  
  
Shiva seemed to agree, "Washu sent us here to deal with that pathetic excuse for a monster?"  
  
A burst of red hot fire shot at the duo, sending Lip running in much the same way he had dealt with Fluffy's attacks. In other words, he was running around in circles trying to put the fire out. Shiva was uneffected by the flames. Crystal was hiding behind the tree.  
  
There was a brief explosion of light and noise. When the smoke cleared, the Skull-Dragon that Crystal had been so fearful of was gone.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The trio was back in Washu's lab.  
  
"What the hell was the point of that?!" demanded Lip.  
  
Washu replied, "That monster was draining the magic from the Earth?"  
  
Shiva asked, "Crystal, what happened to that scar that was on your right arm?"  
  
"It's gone," replied Crystal. "And I guess with the dragon's curse gone, I have become human."  
  
"So, no more sparring sessions with your dragon form?" asked Shiva.  
  
Crystal facevaulted, "You call that sparring?!"  
  
Lip walked out of the lab and flew away. He was bored by the whole thing.  
  
"What's for dinner?" asked Shiva.  
  
Crystal shrugged, "I guess we could go to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki...or the Neko-Hanten."  
  
"I think Ukyo and Cologne both want to kill me about breakfast," said Shiva.  
  
Crystal sighed, "Well then, you can get your own dinner. I'm going away for a while."  
  
Crystal walked out of the lab.  
  
"Where's she going?" asked Shiva.  
  
Washu replied, "To learn how to be human I suppose."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The End...?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's Note: I know it was rediculously short and almost completely pointless. I don't care, because I just wanted to finish this season and move onto the second season, because quite honestly, the second season is going to be a lot easier to write. There is going to be a second season, a much better second season with more Anime related incidents and a real plot. 


End file.
